


The Life Circus

by Girlwithgoggles



Category: Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Circus, Blood and Gore, Circus, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Light Angst, M/M, fight, tater tots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2020-02-29 21:27:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18786544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Girlwithgoggles/pseuds/Girlwithgoggles
Summary: Eddie's life at the Life Circus is not a happy one. Misfortune planted him there four years ago and now Eddie is just trying to get by. When Carlton Drake, the circus master, gives Eddie a new animal to tame, Eddie's life flips upside down.





	1. Chapter One

Eddie rolled out of his cramped bed at the sound of the alarm. The day after the last show of the month was always exhausting. Everyone still had to get up and take down all the equipment. Heck, weeks after they’d still be cleaning confetti off the mats. The whole trope of hating Mondays was brought to a whole other level when you worked at the circus.

Eddie stumbled over to his small kitchenette and puttered around until he had a scalding cup of pitch black coffee in his hands. Eddie inhaled deeply and leaned back on the small counter. The sun was just peeking through the curtains and through the window, Eddie could see others waking up and starting their days. Roadies and performers alike who lived on location were coming out of their own small cabins and walking down the sloping hill towards the big tents. Eddie lived close to the edge of the compound, overlooking the hill. It put him the shortest distance from the animal building so he could get there fast if need be. It put him at ease knowing his babies were only a short jog away.

Eddie threw on a pair of old jeans and an even rattier hoodie before stepping out and heading down the hill. Today, Eddie decided to make a slight detour and walk through the largest tent to see how clean up and take down were going.

As he entered through the flaps, Eddie glanced up at the tallest platform of the trapeze pole and shivered. He had no idea how Anne got up there every day, let alone swing down on ropes and silks. During shows she wasn’t even wearing a harness! Sure, there were nets below, but that’s still a long ass drop.

As he passed by the other aerial acts, all in various stages of disassemble, he felt, for the hundredth time, the overwhelming feeling of displeasure. Everyone here used to be someone else. They had jobs, homes, lives. And then one by one, through one horrible misfortune after the next, their lives were ruined and as cliché as it sounds, they found themselves seeking a new life with the circus. Heck, Eddie himself had been an investigative reporter and journalist. Anne used to be a lawyer. They’d been together once, and it was actually Eddie’s fault they were here. Although, it was a sick twist of fate that landed them at the same circus, it had been Eddie who had ruined both their lives.

But that had been years ago now. Anne had grown to forgive him, she even met a nice juggler slash doctor here at the circus. And Eddie… Well Eddie was good at learning on the fly, and when he heard the circus was looking for an animal trainer in exchange for money, food and a solid roof, he started researching everything and anything he could. Plus he had a hamster when he was 12, how different could some fancy poodles in tutus be?

Eddie finally got to the back of the circus tent, and through a flap in the fabric he could see Scrambler’s outdoor enclosure. The 154 pound panther sat licking her paw delicately.

Eddie walked over and knelt down beside the bars, “hey honey, miss me?”

The panther’s eyes flashed as they flicked up to Eddie’s face. They were cool and calculating, but also seemed to spark with a hint of recognition. She sniffed at the hand he extended to the bars and gave it a greeting lick.

Ever since he was hired to tame the big cats, he’d grown especially fond of Scrambler. She was one of the friendliest out of the animals. Sure, it had taken some getting used to, and there were countless nights where he’d had to visit Anne and Dan’s trailer to seek medical attention; he had the scars to remind him. But after a few months of him camping out beside the cage, and hand feeding her, and just generally trying to provide her with a nice life, Scrambler seemed to calm down around him.

Scrambler went back to lapping at her paw and that’s when Eddie saw it, the gash in fur and flesh. It oozed sluggishly. 

Eddie instantly went into panic mode. How had Eddie missed that? After Drake’s set he’d put her away himself. He missed it. He’d missed this. He was an inattentive, careless, heartless—Eddie’s brain suddenly came to a screeching halt.

What had Drake done to her. Eddie saw red.

The next minute he was hammering on the door to the ringmaster’s house. It took a few minutes, but finally Carlton Drake swung the door open. He looked as he always did; put together and bored.

“Mr. Brock, good morning, how may I help you?” Drake fiddled with his cuff as if it wasn’t already immaculate.

“How can you help me? You can start by not abusing my animals. What the hell did you do to Scrambler’s paw?”

Drake looked lost for a moment and then he hummed, “Oh, you mean the Panther. Yes I meant to talk to you about that. It got very agitated last night, tried to claw at my leg so I had to put it back in its place. Mr. Brock I thought you said you’d gotten rid of it’s violent side.”

Eddie’s ears were ringing, “She’s a wild animal. If you’re a douche, she’ll swing at you. You can’t treat her like a prop, Drake.”

Drake seemed to be done putting on a calm front. One minute he was standing on the steps of his trailer, primping, the next he was standing far too close to Eddie, finger in his face.

“Listen Brock. I hired you because you said you’d train these animals. So when I bring you an animal you,” he stepped closer, forcing Eddie a step back, “train,” another step, “it.”

Much quieter, Drake leaned close to Eddie, “Now, I have a very important new asset coming in on Friday that you will be training to within an inch of its life, and if you don’t cooperate and do your job, your cat is going back to the poachers den where I found it.”

And with that, Drake brushed past Eddie and headed down the path towards the tents.

Eddie stood there feeling cold. His hands were going numb and he squeezed his nails into his palms until the feeling returned. He wanted to scream, he wanted to cry, he wanted to break Carlton Drake. Walk up behind him and snap his neck. 

But he didn’t.

Instead Eddie turned, breathed out a deep sigh, and headed in the direction of the medical supply tent.

He’d fix up Scrambler before lunch.

\- - - - - 

Mrs. Chen dropped the days lunch special onto Eddie’s tray and took a long, scrutinizing look at him, “You just talked to Mr. Drake, didn’t you.”

“Oh, how could you tell,” the sarcasm was only half there. Eddie didn’t feel in the mood to be a smart ass today.

Mrs. Chen shook her head and reached under the counter. She pulled out a beer and passed it to Eddie who took it gratefully.

“Now don’t think I’m a free bar you can come to. This is just for today because I’m feeling generous.”

Eddie finally felt the corners of his mouth turn up, “Thanks Mrs. C. Cheers”

Mrs. Chen waved him off with a huff. Eddie turned to go as he heard the acrobat behind him trying and failing to sweet talk a beer for himself.

Eddie made a short scan of the mess hall before he spotted his friends and headed over. He fell into the chair across the table from Anne and Dan, who were deep in conversation, and Maria who was reading the paper. Eddie popped the beer open and took a long drink. It was very bitter, but beggars can’t be choosers.

“No fair, Mrs. Chen always favours you,” Maria was distracted from her paper by the bottle opening. 

Eddie shrugged as he took a shorter sip, put the bottle down and attacked the corn and tater tots provided. 

“Something’s bothering you Eddie, what happened.”

Of course it was Anne who noticed something was wrong, it was always Anne. Eddie felt a small pang of loss, but quickly pushed it down. Dan was a good guy, and Eddie was glad Anne was happy; or as happy as you could be living at the circus.

“It’s Scrambler,” Eddie wiped the crumbs from his mouth, “Drake fucked up her paw during last night’s performance.”

Anne, Dan and Maria’s faces fell and Maria stabbed her knife into the table. Only Dan jumped at that, the rest being used to Maria’s unhealthy knife fixation by now. 

“Yeah, and when I confronted him about it, he talked about her like a fuckin toy. Started telling me some bullshit about a new ‘asset’ comin in on friday, and if I didn’t do my job and break its spirit, he’d send Scrambler back to the poachers.”

Anne gasped, she placed a hand over Eddie’s and squeezed slightly, “Eddie I’m so sorry.”

Maria narrowed her eyes, “Carlton Drake treats everything and everyone like his own personal playthings. He has no respect for human or animal life. Makes me sick.”

Eddie nodded and rubbed a hand over his tired eyes. It was barely noon and he was already done with the day. 

Dan spoke up from beside Anne, “Eddie, if this happens again you can bring Scrambler straight to me, I have extra medical supplies in my trailer and she’ll be taken care of.”

Eddie smiled at Dan, he really was a good guy, “Thanks Dan.”

“But what’s this new asset Drake was talking about?” Anne leaned in, pulling her hand back and lowering her voice, “Another tiger? Maybe an elephant?”

“God I hope not. I don’t think I can stomach imprisoning another wild animal. Hopefully he just brings in a bunny rabbit or a cat.” Eddie popped the last tater tot into his mouth and moved to clean his dishes away.

Anne hummed, “true. I don’t understand how Drake gets away with owning the exotic animal in the first place. Most circuses have given up using animals because it’s cruel, not to mention illegal.”

As the group got up to leave Eddie shrugged, “It’s the Life Circus, remember. Life Foundation has a hand in almost every business you can think of. They probably struck some shady deal with the animal rights groups to keep them away.”

Dan took Anne’s and his own trays over to the garbage and emptied them, “Well, whatever the case, we’ll find out on friday won’t we. That’s when Drake said this thing would be coming right?”

Eddie nodded, “Yeah… friday.”


	2. Chapter Two

Time moved quicker when you lived at the circus. There were always things to do: rigs to set up, props to move, animals to feed, people to spot while they practiced. Day after day was practice until the two months of shows, then they got a week off and straight back into designing and practicing for the next show. 

Friday came, and Eddie was with his friends in the big top tents watching them practice. Well, half watching, and half roughhousing with Scrambler. The panther would lunge at him and Eddie would grab her around the mouth, pull her around a bit, slap at her back and in general give her a hard time. He was talking to Dan, but most of his focus was on the large deadly animal in front of him. He trusted Scrambler, but she was big, and those claws were sharp. Even if Scrambler just took a playful swipe, Eddie could lose an eye.

“Anyways, props department want to make my balls and rings into planets, which is fine, I’m all for it since it’s in keeping with the whole space theme. But they’ve been in touch with costumes and they’re threatening to put me in a full on green space alien outfit.”

Dan threw the pins he was practicing with lazily over his head one by one, and one by one let them land on the tip of his toe before launching them back up and starting the cycle again. 

Eddie laughed loudly, imagining Dan in a green, skin-tight bodysuit. Scrambler evaded his next grab and rolled onto her back, pawing at the air before jumping to her feet and running around him, to climb on his back. Eddie rolled her around his body so she wasn’t behind him and pushed her back. She fell away and pounced forward for another grapple. 

“I think he’d look amazing,” Anne slid down from where she had been perched. She let the silks that were wrapped securely around her thighs, hips and feet loosen enough to allow her to drop a few feet. She was now just above their heads, hanging upside-down. Her strawberry blonde hair was tied up into a tight bun on her head, “Also really fucking funny.”

Dan squawked indignantly and threw a pin at her head. Anne caught it easily and flipped down so her feet touched the mats. She smiled and walked over to Dan, throwing him his pin, “Hot too!”

Dan rolled his eyes but accepted the kiss she offered. Eddie focused back on Scrambler. He grabbed up the flexible metal rod with the fake prey attached to the end and lifted it up, “Come on honey, jump!”

Scrambler jumped. She chased the toy into the air and caught it in her mouth. Eddie smiled and went to give her head an affectionate tousle when the flap of the tent was drawn back and Treece stepped through. Scrambler’s back immediately arched, an unhappy yowl escaping her jaws.

“Brock, Mr. Drake wants to see you. Now.”

Everyone froze. Treece was the circus strong man, but he was also a deadly shot and the acting bodyguard for Carlton Drake. You did not want to get into a fight with him, ever. Eddie glanced back at his friends and Dan quickly came forward. He took the rod from Eddie and nodded to him.

“I can get Scrambler back in her cage, you should go.”

Eddie nodded and handed off the rod, “I’ll see you at lunch.”

Anne nodded as Dan slowly coaxed the panther back towards her cage. She glanced back at Eddie a few times but ended up following Dan behind the tents.

\- - - - - 

The walk back up the sloping hill to the small cabins felt like a death march. It took both forever and no time at all to reach Drake’s cabin, which was set apart from the rest in location and size. It was more of a house than a cabin. It had two floors, the first being Drakes living space, and the second floor was where Drake had his office. Eddie had been up there a handful of times. The first being when he got hired to the circus. Over the years he’d been up there when animal’s paperwork needed submitting, or when they received a new animal and Eddie was getting an information package. Eddie expected no different today. He was waiting for a long explanation on how he needs to train the animal, then get his package, and then a stern, vaguely threatening speech from Drake. 

What he got was a large canister sitting on a metal table in the middle of the room. Drake stood behind the table, looking over some paperwork. As soon as Eddie came in, shadowed by Treece, Drake put the papers down and focused his attention on Eddie. 

“Mr. Brock, thank you for joining me. How are you today?”

“What’s the new animal, Drake,” Eddie didn’t feel like small talk.

Drake took Eddie’s dismissive tone in stride. He reached out a hand to the canister and pressed a button on the sleek metal surface. As soon as the button was pressed, a small panel in the side opened up, revealing a glass viewing window, and past that was… Well, Eddie wasn’t quite sure what he was looking at. 

“Not an animal Mr. Brock. A Symbiote.”

Inside the canister was a mass of rolling, bubbling black goo. It almost looked like hot tar, except Eddie had never seen tar move in such a strange way before. It reacted to the sudden light. The black goo flattened itself to the bottom of the container as much as possible, tendrils of its mass spreading out to coat the entire inside.

Eddie drew back a bit, “W-what is that thing?”

Drake came around the table to address him, “The name given to this creature is ‘Symbiote’. The Life Foundation was on a space expedition and stumbled across this being on an asteroid. We believe it could help humans adapt to different situations more… efficiently. If our calculations are correct, a human could survive in outer space using a Symbiote.”

Eddie’s mouth hung open, behind him, he heard Treece snort.

“An asteroid? Survive in space? What- stop- that things from space… What, it’s like an alien or something?” The disbelief and confusion were strong in Eddie’s voice. Eddie’s brain hurt just to think about it. He supposed superhumans like Captain America and Spiderman were kicking around in the world. It would be small-minded of Eddie to think they were really alone in this universe. But it was still hard to wrap his head around that he was meeting one face to face. Drake rolled his eyes.

“Yes Mr. Brock, I just explained that. Now, the Life Foundation has granted us permission to use it for the circuses purposes.”

Ignoring how utterly suspicious and unbelievable it sounded that the Life Foundation would just hand over an extremely important scientific find like that, Eddie walked closer to the table and leaned over the canister. Very slowly, he lowered his hand towards the glass and planted the tip of his finger in the centre of it. Instantly the Symbiote inside zeroed in on his finger and writhed, trying to grab at it from behind the glass. Eddie jumped away and the Symbiote let out a high pitched screech. 

Drake smiled cooly, “This Symbiote depends on a host to live. As soon as it finds a host that it’s compatible with it will bond with them. However, we have discovered that through necessity, the Symbiote will bond with an imperfect match to stay alive. Although, it’s very unlikely that the Symbiote will stay with it very long,” Drake’s smile grew wider and Eddie shivered, “That’s when I thought of you. You seem to have a way with animals, you can train just about anything we throw at you to do anything we want. That’s why we’ll be giving this Symbiote to you to train. We want it to get used to using an undesirable host. We want it to follow the orders given. And we want it to learn that there are consequences for when it disobeys.”

Eddie recoiled in horror, “I’m not torturing an animal Drake. That’s fucking sick. What makes you think I can even train a space alien?”

Drake walked back around the table and picked up the papers he had been studying when Eddie came in, “Because,” he said, holding up the papers so Eddie could see them, “I’ve already signed the papers to have Scrambler euthanized, all it would take is for me to send the file and she’d be as good as dead.”

For a split second Eddie stopped breathing. The sheer wrongness of Drake using Scrambler’s real name hit Eddie hard and something in his gut twisted violently. For the second time, Eddie saw red, “Drake you fucking monster,” Eddie charged for the table, hands outstretched. He didn’t even know what he wanted to do, or what he could do in that moment. But he wanted to hurt Drake.

Something hard smashed across the back of Eddie’s skull before two strong arms grabbed hold of his shoulders and yanked him back. In that moment of blind rage, Eddie had forgotten Treece, standing watch behind him. 

Drake brushed off nonexistent dust from his suit and walked back around till he was face to face with Eddie. Eddie’s head swam but he grit his teeth and met Drake’s eyes head on.

“You’re giving me a creature that can give me powers beyond human capabilities. How’re you so arrogant that you don’t think I’ll kill you as soon as I have it,” Eddie was breathing ragged, he wasn’t thinking clearly and all he wanted was to get his hands on Drake, to hurt him, kill him.

“Oh, I know you’ll try, I already know you will. But you see Eddie I know your weakness. Your foolish little soft spot for animals. So, if you decide to try and be the hero, all I have to do is click a button and—“

It happened so quickly and so violently that Eddie barely registered what had happened.

As Drake finished his sentence he produced a small remote from his pocket and pressed a button. From speakers around the room came a very loud, high-pitched whining noise. It set Eddie’s teeth on edge. It was like having a giant persistent mosquito directly in your ear. It was annoying for sure, but Eddie could deal with this, if this was Drake’s idea of a torture device, Eddie was happy to disappoint him. 

Suddenly, movement over Drake’s shoulder caught Eddie’s eye and he watched in dawning horror as the black mass in the canister began to writhe in place. It’s body broke apart again and again, it seemed to be trying to reform but couldn’t make it’s body stick. Tendrils of it shot out at the glass and smashed as hard as they could. It smashed its body back and forth from one side of the small space to the next, it looked like it was shaking apart. But Eddie’s stomach churned when the scream started. That’s what it was, a scream. It was high pitched and agonized, it sounded like a cat being torn apart and Eddie’s eyes began watering. The scream was far worse than the loud noise playing over the speakers and Eddie wanted it to stop, to make it stop, just make it—

“Alright, alright enough. Fucking stop! Please!”

The noise over the speakers stopped but it took a moment for the Symbiote to stop it’s tortured wails. When it’s head splitting screeches died out it’s mass grew as small as it could become and flattened itself against the far wall of the container.

Eddie watched it for a moment more before dropping his head. He realized his eyes were wet when Treece abruptly let him go and he was able to bring his hands to his face.

“Those speakers are set up throughout the circus grounds,” Drake slipped the remote back into his pocket and stood up straight, “Well? Do I have you on board?”

Eddie felt sick, he nodded.

“Good. I’ll have Treece come and check up on you ever so often, just to make sure you’re actually making progress.” Drake walked back around the table and pressed the same button that opened the viewing port. It slid shut, “There’s a slot for food on the side here. It should eat any meat you give it.” 

Drake picked up the canister and carried it over to Eddie, who took it with numb fingers.

“Good luck Mr. Brock.”

Eddie left, carrying the canister at his side.

\- - - - - 

Eddie walked in the direction of the animal building in stunned silence. His head felt fuzzy and his thoughts swam hazily around like dirt kicked up from the bottom of a pond. The heavy weight of the canister at his side was the only thing keeping him aware of his surroundings. He was holding an alien in his hands. He had to train this alien to perform for the masses and if he couldn’t… the sound of it’s pained screams filled his head and his stomach rolled, he felt a chill stroke down his spine. Eddie stopped in the middle of the road and retched onto the dusty ground. It took him several minutes to collect himself enough to think. It had sounded as though the Symbiote was being torn apart from the inside out. It sounded like knives on a chalkboard. His head was full of cotton and his whole body felt numb and cold. He’d avoided cruel treatment of his animals for so long. He’d trained them with love and compassion, but as Drakes words swam through his head, Eddie couldn’t see a way around a stricter discipline. And that scared Eddie to death.


	3. Chapter Three

Eddie skipped lunch. The idea of telling his friends all of this made his brain ache even more than it already did. What he needed was some quiet, and some pain killers for the large bump that was no doubt forming on the back of his head, yet another reminder to never mess with Treece.

Eddie took stock. The Life Foundation had found alien life. Apparently said alien life could enhance human abilities. Training them to comply to humans commands was more difficult than they thought it would be. Drake thought Eddie could give it a shot. Around there the details started getting fuzzy, something didn’t quite feel right. Why Eddie of all people? Sure, turns out he was a natural with big animals, but this was a space alien! How could that compare? Plus, Eddie thought warily, he had no idea what this creature could do. For all he knew, it could suck out his insides and disappear into the bushes. Maybe that’s why Drake gave it to him, a light snack. Eddie shivered at the thought.

Eddie lifted the canister, braced it against his hip and tentatively pushed the button to open the viewing window. It slid open and once again Eddie was met with the black mass from before. It rolled and coiled, and Eddie watched it move, transfixed. All of a sudden, with a violent jerk, it punched itself against the glass. Eddie almost dropped the canister in his surprise, letting out a very manly scream thank you very much. He quickly closed the viewing port again. 

From the dirt road, he went straight to the animal building and locked the doors behind him. The building itself wasn’t small, but it definitely wasn’t big enough to house the animals it did. In Eddie’s opinion anyway. There were cages for each animal, all separated by different blocked off sections. The sections were divided by brick walls that kept the carnivores’ eyes off the herbivores. In total the circus owned two horses, one zebra and one camel. All of which were kept together on one side of the brick wall. They were all generally sweet natured and didn’t give Eddie much trouble. The meat eaters were kept on the other side. Scrambler was housed next to a leopard, ‘Spots’, who was unimaginatively named by Dan. In a separate cage lived an old Lioness, Jamie, who didn’t see much showtime anymore. She was beautiful and gentle. She liked to lick at Eddie’s fingers and if she could get close enough, groom his hair. Anne always said Eddie had a way with animals, and Jamie always liked to prove her right.

As soon as Eddie turned from locking the door, Scrambler greeted him with a friendly chirp. Eddie’s shoulders instantly relaxed. Somehow, being around his animals calmed Eddie more than being around humans. Animal’s don’t judge, Eddie supposed.

Eddie headed to the back of the building where the work and storage space was. A long wooden table held various harnesses, leashes and flashy toys for when the animals were performing. 

Carefully setting the canister down on the table, Eddie moved to the radio, a large old set of speakers hooked up behind it. Eddie grabbed a bottle of aspirin from the top and popped a few into his mouth. He sighed and rubbed at his temples as he turned back to the canister. It lay quiet and unmoving in front of Eddie.

Eddie breathed. He pressed the button to the viewing window which revealed the same rolling mass of black. Eddie thought back to Drake’s threat. Drake had the euthanization papers signed. If Eddie didn’t show results soon, Scrambler might be…

Eddie shook his head. Could he bond with a space alien in such little time? It had taken months for Scrambler to trust Eddie enough to pet her, let alone give her simple instructions. Calm and gentle had always been Eddie’s way, but there was no time and no way he could even be sure bonding with space goo would work… Maybe he could try being gentle but firm.

Eddie swallowed back the bile in his throat and glared hard at the canister.

“Hey, Symbiote thing. Can you hear me?” Eddie paused. The black mass paused in its churning.

Eddie’s eyebrows shot up at that, “Okay, so you can understand me. Maybe... Good. Let me just make this clear. I don’t want to hurt you or anything like what Drake did to you back there, I don’t want to! But when I give you instructions, you’re gonna listen, understand? I have very little time to get you at least manageable and I can’t fuck it up. So… yeah.”

Eddie ended lamely. The Symbiote stayed still.

“Alright, okay,” Eddie approached the canister and hovered a finger over the lids release mechanism, “When I open the lid, I’m just going to pick you up. No funny business.”

Eddie’s hands were shaking by now. This was the dumbest and worst idea he’d ever had. He popped the lid and reached his hand inside. 

The Symbiote was on his hand, up his arm, and disappearing under his skin in an instant. Eddie’s shriek of terror set off the other animals in the front of the building and Eddie fell back away from the table, shaking his arms and legs desperately trying to dislodge what had just become one with his body.

All at once the terrifying feeling of losing control of his limbs started to spread over Eddie and he panicked. His brain was pure panic. His lungs clenched painfully as they tried to breathe in on their own, but something was dictating otherwise. Eddie stumbled forward and crashed into the workbench. With all his focus on one arm, he reached for the radio and turned the dial as far as it would go. Up until this point, the radio had been turned to a rock station, low and mellow. He usually had it on for the animals to listen to, at least to Eddie, he thought they appreciated the classics.

As soon as he switched it up, the piercing screech of an electric guitar filled the building and bounced off the walls. It was pandemonium. The animals panicked, chirping and hissing and bellowing, Eddie was screaming too, but it wasn’t from the noise. Or maybe, more accurately, it was from the noise, filtered through the sensors of the Symbiote currently shaking itself and Eddie apart at the seams.

Eddie’s brain had gone from a blanket of pure panic to an explosion of pain. But then he felt something, a shift, as if the painful part of his brain was separating. Eddie grabbed at that feeling and pushed it harder. His head was still in splitting agony but it was starting to lessen so he thrust his head closer to the radio as it blared out the electric solo.

And finally, as the air was punched out of his lungs, Eddie’s brain stopped hurting, and the Symbiote shot out of his chest, hitting the ground with a loud splat. Eddie wasted no time. The Symbiote still looked panicked and in pain and Eddie took the chance to grab it up and slam it back into the canister. He pushed the lid back on securely, picked up the whole thing and wheeled around wildly. His eyes landed on an old wooden trunk on the far wall. It was covered with a blanket and was mostly just used as a chair now. Eddie ran over, threw it open and stuck the canister inside, closing the lid with a bang.

The radio still blared, the animals still screamed, but Eddie suddenly felt a strange calm steal over him. Shock no doubt controlled Eddie’s brain and kept it from falling apart as he walked briskly back over to the radio that no longer broke his skull open. He flicked it off completely and stood still beside the workbench.

After a few more minutes the animals calmed down and after a few more Eddie’s hands began to shake violently. 

Eddie sagged onto the floor, drawing in big gulping breaths and shuddering through the exhales. His eyes welled up with tears and spilled over and his heart ached.

Back in the office, when Eddie had heard the Symbiotes pained screams and watched it thrash about in its small metal box, he had known it was in pain, that it wanted the sound to stop. He had felt pity for it, had hated Drake for it. And now… now Eddie had done the exact thing to it that Drake had, and the worst part was that in the moments before it had come flying from his skin and onto the concrete floor, Eddie had felt its panic, felt its pain, and felt its heartbreak.

And Eddie had caused it this time. Not Drake, not Treece. Eddie had, and he wasn’t sure if he was strong enough to try again.

Eddie curled around himself on the floor of the animal building and didn’t get up for a long time.


	4. Chapter Four

“Eddie? Eddie!”

His name being called roused Eddie from the half conscious state he was in and he rose to his feet. It took a moment for his legs to get with the program. While he tried to walk to the door with legs made of led, the person on the other side was still banging away.

“Eddie please, this is the last place we can think of. You missed lunch and dinner, what’s wrong!”

Eddie groaned and rubbed at his forehead. It still hurt from where Treece had hit him and sleeping hunched over on the ground probably didn’t help anything.

“I’m coming, I’m coming, hold on a second will you,” Eddie struggled with the lock for a moment before throwing the door wide and letting an irritated looking Anne walk into the building, followed by a concerned looking Dan.

“Eddie, you really should eat,” came Dan’s voice from behind Anne, who was now right up in Eddie’s face.

Eddie took a step back and Anne took a step forward, “What did Drake say to you? It can’t have been good if you hid out here with your animals. You only do that if you’re really upset, or if you’re trying to train a new animal…” Anne squinted around the cages, no doubt looking for a new four-legged friend.

Eddie shook his head and tried to come up with a lie to get Anne and Dan to leave him alone. His brain wasn’t cooperating. 

“Drake… He gave… I was tasked with… uhhh,” Anne’s eyes narrowed, daring Eddie to lie to her.

Eddie sighed and walked back into his workshop, followed close behind by the couple. The radio was still sitting on the counter where he’d left it and Eddie avoided looking at it, it made his heart squeeze painfully.

“Drake’s given me a new animal to tame,” Eddie needed to keep busy, or he wasn’t sure if he could get through this whole explanation. He grabbed a bucket off the rack and walked over to the freezer where the carnivores food was stored. 

“What kind of new animal Eddie?” Anne’s voice had softened some, she stood behind him, waiting for him to continue. She knew he would talk, she just needed to wait.

Eddie didn’t know how to explain this, “The dangerous kind. One I’ve never seen before…” The bucket was weighed down with meat now and Eddie walked back out into the front area where the cages were. Scrambler immediately perked up at the smell and Eddie smiled, which turned into a grimace as he kept talking, “Anyways… Drake has the euthanization papers ready if I don’t show results… So I need to get this thing under control but-” Eddie cut off then, as the phantom feeling of his unresponsive lungs flooded back to him and he shivered.

“But what Eddie,” Dan had come up beside Eddie, now, both Anne and Dan were looking sympathetically at him.

Eddie hated it. He didn’t want them to feel bad for him, he wanted them to be angry with him. Eddie was angry at himself. Eddie grabbed a few chunks of meat and threw them through the bars to Spots, Scrambler and Jamie, two of which caught the offered treats in their mouths. Jamie sniffed out the lump of flesh and lapped at it gently. Eddie sighed. 

“But this thing is nothing I’ve ever seen before and I’m scared…” 

“Oh Eddie,” Anne put a comforting arm around Eddie’s shoulders and Eddie leaned into her. Just for a moment accepting the physical contact.

“So,” Dan took the bucket from Eddie and continued to toss the meat through the bars, “Where is the animal? I don’t see any new additions.”

Eddie glanced over to the trunk in the corner. The canister was locked and closed, he’d made sure of that. There was no way of it coming out, but still… Eddie’s next breath shook on it’s way out.

Anne saw his line of sight and glanced over to the trunk as well, “Eddie did you lock it in there? Eddie you can’t- that’s cruel.”

Eddie’s chest felt tight, “I know… I know it’s cruel. And not just that, I… I hurt it! Drake was torturing it and- oh God the screaming- and I begged him to stop and then I turned around and did the exact same thing and I-” Eddie’s voice broke and he had to take a moment to compose himself, “And I know better. The first week I had Scrambler she took a chunk outta my side because she was scared, and this thing is scared and I was an ass.” Eddie felt his throat closing again and he cleared it. 

When Eddie had started this job he’d never worked with any animal larger than a dog before. But he’d learned and he’d grown more mature with time. It was like he had seven kids, all with different personalities and needs. He’d earned their trust with kind words and actions. He showed he could be trusted and in turn the animals showed obedience when they were instructed. 

Eddie had never felt comfortable that the animals were simply attractions for the audiences to ooh and aah at. If he could, he’d get all of them to reserves and sanctuaries where they could be with their ilk. Eddie felt a pang for the Symbiote. It might have had a whole planet out there in the stars with its family on it. And now it was here on earth, being tortured by every human it has come into contact with, no wonder it attacked Eddie. Eddie suddenly had a thought and it gave him pause. What had it been trying to do? Eddie had no idea how these creatures functioned and he freaked out over something that could have been completely normal for it. Eddie bristled and walked over to the trunk, Anne and Dan not far behind. This time, he wouldn’t panic and attack, this time he’d do it the right way.

Eddie pushed the blanket off and flipped the top open. The canister sat innocently in the trunk, the viewing window was straight black, but Eddie saw the edges twitch slightly as light was let back into the trunk. Eddie pulled the canister out gently and carried it over to the desk. 

“What- Eddie what is that?” Anne’s eyes were narrowed, trying to figure out what she was looking at. The symbiote inside moved again and Anne startled back. 

Eddie smiled ruefully at her, “This is the asset, it’s a Symbiote. It’s a- an alien.”

Both Anne and Dan exploded immediately.

“An Alien?! Eddie are you sure this isn’t some sort of weird deep sea fish?”

“I can see why you were scared, that thing looks nasty!”

“But what does it eat exactly?”

“Are we talking 1979 Alien? Or Et Alien?”

Eddie managed a laugh at that last one but sobered almost instantly, “I have no idea, which is why I was such an idiot. I thought just because it can understand me, that it would understand our world and how we do things…”

Anne gapped, “It can what?! Eddie this is far too weird for you, this is, this thing could be dangerous, you don’t know what it is!”

“It looks like some sort of freaky parasite, Eddie we need to get rid of this thing.” Dan chimed in.

As Dan spoke, the Symbiote churned violently in its canister and both Dan and Anne stepped back.

Eddie shook his head and looked to his startled friends, “No. I know how dangerous it can be, but I’m willing to deal if it means Scrambler will be safe. I can’t give up on her, and I can’t give up on the Symbiote. It’s a living creature just like the rest of us.”

“Eddie we know you would never let anything bad happen to Scrambler, but this thing… Drake gave it to you specifically, are you really sure you can trust it? Eddie, it feels like a trap…” Anne tried to come forward again but Eddie turned away.

“I know. I know it’s dangerous and I know this could all just be a horrible trap. But that thing in there responded to me; it’s sentient! I can’t sit and do nothing. Scrambler doesn’t deserve this, and neither does the Symbiote.”

Anne looked like she wanted to argue more but Eddie turned his attention back to the Symbiote. 

With a deep breath, he bent until he was level with the canister and then spoke softly.

“Hello. I-er listen, When I- uh,” Eddie rubbed over his face hard, this wasn’t going well, “Ok whatever. Hello Symbiote, I’m Eddie Brock, I was hired here four years ago to look after the animals and now I want to help you. Before when you jumped on me, I was scared, really scared, and I acted stupid and I hurt you. I never want to hurt you again.” At that, Eddie pulled the radio off the desk and unplugged it. He really didn’t want to have to buy a new one, but he needed to earn the Symbiotes trust somehow.

The Symbiote, up until this point had been still in the canister, but as soon as it saw the radio come out it shrunk back. Eddie’s heart hurt and it spurred him on as he threw the radio onto the ground and with a few sharp stomps, crumpled the plastic and metal into a twisted mess under his foot.

Anne and Dan jumped back in shock, “Eddie!” Anne admonished, but Eddie’s focus was drawn to the Symbiote as it moved slowly in its container.

The Symbiote seemed interested and intent on the crushed radio so Eddie picked it up and held it close to the viewing window. The Symbiote moved away but Eddie coaxed it back with a hushed voice. 

“This thing doesn’t work anymore. I destroyed it, so it can’t hurt you ever again. We’ll keep it quiet in here from now on, I promise.” 

With that, the symbiote flattened itself onto the viewing window and then melted into a flat puddle on the bottom of the canister. 

“That’s progress… I think…” Eddie smiled shakily. He could do this, he could treat it like any other animal he’d ever trained, and he could save Scrambler. He turned away, back to his friends and found them staring in horror.

“Eddie that thing understands you…” Anne’s face was twisted with shock and concern.

“Yeah, I’m not exactly sure how it works, but I’m going to figure it out soon enough. So what if it’s an alien, it’s a living thing and it needs my help if it’s going to survive on Earth.” He turned back to the canister and stared intently at the black puddle that was sitting comfortably still. He could do this, he would do this but… 

“It would be nice if you guys could have my back,” Eddie asked softly, turning back to Anne and Dan. They looked calmer now, as if Eddie’s calm had put their nerves to rest somewhat.

Anne sighed and glanced to Dan who shrugged and smiled, “Whatever you need Eddie, were here for you.”

Eddie’s head felt clear for the first time since this morning.


	5. Chapter Five

The next morning, Eddie was woken by his alarm blaring in his ear. After chugging a cup of black coffee, slipping into a pair of jeans, and brushing his teeth he bolted out the door and jogged down the hill towards the animal building. Eddie had left the Symbiote in the animal building overnight because he hadn’t been sure where else to put it. He just hoped it wasn’t starving in its canister. The other day, Eddie had checked out the small slot labeled “Feeding”, he’d assumed it was a safe way of passing food into the canister without opening the thing itself. Drake had said meat, what kind Eddie didn’t know, but he’d try some entrails from the fridge today.

When Eddie got to the padlocked building he patted over his jean pockets for a moment before cursing. The one night Eddie had thought to actually hang his keys on the ugly key rack by the door, and he’d forgotten to grab them back up in the morning. Eddie groaned and looked back up the hill. He really didn’t feel like going all the way back to his trailer. 

“Hey Eddie,” Eddie turned at his name and saw Anne walking down the path towards him.

Eddie smiled and waved, “Hey, what brings you to my neck of the woods?”

Anne rolled her eyes, “I knew you’d be skipping breakfast to check on your- your new friend, so I decided to try and convince you to come with me to eat.”

“Coffee’s enough for me, you know that,” unhelpfully, Eddie’s stomach growled loudly.

Eddie’s next comment was directed at his stomach, “Traitor.”

Anne laughed lightly, “You can bring along the alien if you want, it can be your first bonding exercise with it!” Anne smiled expectantly at Eddie, and that’s the kind of look Eddie can’t turn down.

“Yeah okay fine, I’ll join ya, but first… you wouldn’t happen to have some bobby pins on you?”

Anne peered down at the lock in Eddie’s hands and let out a short sigh, “Really Eddie, too lazy to go back up the hill?”

Eddie shrugged and gestured to the lock, “This ways faster!”

Among other unexplained requirement, to work at this circus you had to learn to pick locks. It had always seemed sketchy to Eddie, but in this instance Eddie was glad he picked up this strange skill. Anne came over, pulled a bobby pin from her hair, and gently pushed Eddie aside.

After a few more moments of tinkering with the lock, it popped open and Eddie swung the door wide. 

Anne pushed the pin back into her hair and followed him inside. Eddie pulled the blinds open on the windows, so the light shone down and gave the animals a wake up call. Almost instantly the herbivores were making noise, stomping their feet and blowing air out their nostrils. There was a lane that opened to the back paddock, and Eddie opened the gate. Every morning in the summer, Eddie would let the herbivores out into the paddock to eat as much grass and hay as they liked. After making sure the Zebra got out from the last stall in the line, Eddie moved towards the back of the room where the fridge for the carnivores was.

Anne was already by the canister sitting on the work table. She was peering at the covered viewing window curiously, she tapping at the metal covering. Eddie walked over and flicked the switch to open the viewing window. The Symbiote immediately started to move, bubbling up from the bottom of the canister and stirring around like water down a drain. Eddie smiled and put a finger up to the glass.

“Hello there Symbiote. It’s time for some food. I heard you like meat so I’ve got something really good for you today.” Eddie moved away for a moment, popped open the fridge and pulled out a plastic sealed pack of various leftover entrails. Eddie pressed on the “feeding” hatch and it popped open like a cassette player. He ripped open the package and pulled the meat apart with his fingers and pushed a small chunk into the slot.

Anne sat beside him on a small stool. She leaned her elbow on the table casually but Eddie could still sense that she was on high alert beside him, gaze fixed on the canister and the curious Symbiote inside. As soon as Eddie pressed the hatch back in, the Symbiote enveloped the meat. Eddie smiled, pulling off another chunk, “It’s good right? My big cats love the-” but Eddie was cut off as the piece of entrails was spat back into the hatch. Eddie frowned.

“C’mon, what, you don’t like that? Or are you just being picky?”

In response, the Symbiote curled into a small puddle and turned away from the glass. Eddie’s eyebrows shot up and beside him, Anne let out a laugh.

“I guess that’s a no,” Anne raised off of the stool and turned, “C’mon, bring the Symbiote, maybe we can find something it likes in the mess hall.”

Eddie stared down at the Symbiote and sighed.

\- - - - - 

Eddie didn’t receive a single glance as he cradled the canister from the animal building over to the mess hall. He supposed tones of people saw him carrying around metal buckets of meat or oats all the time so this didn’t look too different. Anne was right at his side, listing off other foods the Symbiote might like. Drake had told him to feed it meat, but after this morning Eddie didn’t know what to think. It was early afternoon by the time they’d finished feeding the animals and hauled the Symbiote over to the mess hall. Anne was grumpy, saying Eddie purposefully drew out feeding Jamie. It wasn’t Eddie’s fault that the older lioness preferred to be hand fed. When Eddie had come into her enclosure with a bucket of meat, the Lioness had tackled him, grooming his hair and overall trying to smother him. It had taken him at least half an hour to tire her out so she would sit still and eat the food Eddie had brought for her.

Entering the mess hall, Eddie spotted Maria sitting with Dan at a side table. They both had coffee and seemed to be deep in conversation. Anne broke off from Eddie, going over to the lunch line to get them both a tray. The second Maria noticed Eddie as he walked up beside their table, her eyes were glued to the canister.

At Eddie’s raised eyebrow, Dan looked away sheepishly. 

“Uh, yeah… I told Maria what’s going on,” Dan picked at the edge of his cup, tearing the flimsy paper, “Listen, she’s totally on board to help in any way too, and she promised she wouldn’t spread anything you didn’t want spread.”

Eddie sighed and took the seat next to Maria. He placed the canister on the counter and turned it so the viewport was facing her.

“God,” Maria’s eyes were the size of dinner plates, “It’s so freaky looking.”

The Symbiote rippled and something inside Eddie squeezed, “It’s not  _ freaky looking _ , it’s a beautiful pile of goop.” 

Maria’s wide eyes turned on him and Eddie himself felt a little taken aback.

“Amazing, it’s only been a day and you’re already in love with it,” Maria teased him lightly, smiling as she did. Eddie rolled his eyes and turned the canister back to himself. The Symbiote inside had stopped moving and it was now leaned against the glass. Eddie placed his hand against the glass and the Symbiote rose to meet it.

Something deep in Eddie’s chest squeezed again and he jumped violently when Anne set a tray of food down in front of him. Eddie looked down, or rather up, as Anne seemed to have piled every food they had available onto two trays. 

“We’ll try different things until it likes something.” Eddie smiled up at Anne and popped open the feeding hatch.

Thus started an hour long experiment, consisting of putting various different foods into the feeding hatch and watching to see if the Symbiote would eat them.

At some point between yogurt and strawberries, the canister started to look more like a disgusting salad, and so, Eddie braved opening the container a little to let some of the food be pushed out by a rather eager  Symbiote.

Because they had come well after breakfast, but a good few hours before lunch, the mess hall had been rather empty. There had been a few crew members enjoying coffee and a snack, but they were sitting on the opposite end of the room. Now however, as 12 o'clock rolled around, people were starting to turn up in earnest. 

Eddie glanced around and turned the canister so it was facing towards the wall on the edge of the table. Everyone could still see it, but it’s back was to the room. The last thing on his try was a plate of Tater tots, but that had been brought for Eddie. Anne knew his unhealthy diet and had stopped trying to feed him salads. Eddie grabbed a Tater tot and popped it into his mouth. He chewed for a moment, zoning out staring at the symbiote as it moved slowly around its canister. As Eddie grabbed another one, the Symbiote seemed to follow his movement, down to the plate and up to his mouth with the tot.

Eddie paused for a moment, chewing, and then took another tot off his plate and popped the feeding hatch open. He deposited it in and pushed it through into the canister. Almost instantly the Symbiote was on it, enveloping it into its body with a resounding  _ slurp _ . 

Eddie burst out laughing. His lunch mates all jumped in surprise as he pulled the canister into his lap and opened the lid. As soon as the canister was open, the Symbiote poked a tendril out, testing the air. Eddie grabbed his whole plate of Tater tots and poured them into the Symbiotes black mass. The Symbiote wiggled around, engulfing all of them into itself. Eddie was about to close the canister again when a tendril shot out and grabbed Eddie’s hand. 

All at once the memory of Eddie’s struggling lungs stole over him and he stopped moving. But instead of diving under the skin, the tendril wrapped around his wrist and squeezed gently, it was a comforting weight, not too tight. It felt like a thank you.

Eddie only looked away from the Symbiote when it was back in its canister with the top closed, and when he looked up he was met with three pairs of wide eyes. Eddie leaned away defensively, hugging the canister to his chest.

“What? One at a time through the slot is tedious!”

Maria shook her head, “You’ve got balls dude. After what happened last time.”

Eddie glared at Dan again and Dan shrunk in his seat. Anne interrupted, “It’s fine, Maria has a right to know what that thing can do if she’s gonna help you with it.”

“And I appreciate that, I just think she could help without knowing I slept on the floor of the animal building…” Eddie sulked.

Maria laughed, “You slept on the floor? Okay, Dan didn’t tell me that.”

Eddie’s face felt hot, “Whatever, it doesn’t matter because now we’re tight, right buddy?” He glanced down to the canister sitting in his lap and the Symbiote inside squirmed around. Eddie smiled.

At this point, the mess hall had become busy. The lineup for food was out the door and people were starting to take up seats close to them. 

Eddie closed the viewing window and turned the canister into his stomach, “I think I’m gonna leave now, work with the horses a bit.”

“Yeah, Maria’s gonna show me how to throw knives,” Anne stood and Dan followed. Maria shoveled the last of her rice into her mouth before springing up to join them. They threw out all the test food since they had no idea what Symbiote slime would do if you ate it and hurried out the doors before the lunchroom got impossible to navigate. 

\- - - - 

Six hours later, after Eddie played with the horses, and let the camel and zebra run around, he found himself in the large tent with Scrambler and the Symbiote. Eddie knew Scrambler liked to watch Anne when she was up in the air. Scrambler would always get distracted watching Anne swing back and forth. It was cute.

Anne readjusted herself on the silks she was hanging from. With her foot securely wrapped in the material, she began her slow and artful descent from where she was perched six feet off the ground.

Maria was standing off a little further away from where Eddie was. Maria had never been quite as comfortable around the animals as Anne was and she preferred to give them all a wide berth.

Maria sunk another throwing blade into the already butchered target board and heaved a sigh, “And I’m done,” she turned around to address the room at large, despite the fact that they were the only three there, “If anyone wants to get a drink with me I’m headed to the mess hall.”

With that, Maria turned and started making her way back to the flap of the tent. Anne quickly unraveled herself down to the floor and hastened after Maria.

“You coming Eddie?” Anne asked to be polite, but she didn’t look like she’d wait for him. Eddie smiled and waved her off without turning from Scrambler, who was affectionately chewing away on his hand.

“No I’m good for now, I’ll see you at dinner!”

“See you then!” Anne exited the tent.

Eddie wiggled his fingers in Scrambler’s mouth until she let him go. He rubbed down her back, grooming her fur. As he did, he spoke quietly to the Symbiote, who was sitting in it’s canister by his side.

“See, Scrambler’s an adult Panther, but honestly she acts like a baby most days.” Eddie grabbed the treat ball, a large plastic container that makes the treats inside a challenge to get out, and held it above Scrambler’s head until she jumped for it. As soon as Eddie tossed the ball away, Scrambler was on it, chewing and clawing away.

Eddie pulled the canister into his lap and glanced down at the Symbiote who was doing slow laps around the bottom of the container.

Eddie sighed, “I know you probably want out of there. It’s cramped and uncomfortable…” Eddie paused as he looked back to Scrambler who was still chewing away at the treat ball, “how about this. Let’s get through one more day together and then I’ll let you out and we can see how that is.” 

The Symbiote flattened itself against the glass and Eddie put a hand to it, smiling. 

“I never asked, but do you have a—“

Eddie was cut off abruptly by Scrambler’s growl. Eddie put the canister down instantly and focused his full attention on the angry panther. Her back was arched but she seemed to be looking past Eddie to someone behind him. Eddie turned slightly so he could see the tent flap and Scrambler at the same time. Treece brushed into the tent with all the confidence of a man who brought a gun to a knife fight.

Eddie wasn’t surprised by Scrambler’s reaction. Treece had been the makeshift animal keeper before Eddie had come in. Even after Eddie had joined, Treece would come by to antagonize Eddies training and, in general, make the animals nervous. Scrambler herself knew Treece from when she was a baby. Treece had been the one to pick her up from the poachers camp where she’d been caught. She was crying when Eddie had met her. 

“So Brock? I see your spending more time with your cat than you are the asset… I guess that makes sense, seeing as your time with her is running out.”

Eddie was completely focused on Scrambler, eyes glued to every movement she made. Treece was stepping closer, Eddie could hear his footsteps. He just needed Treece to leave.

“Treece you can tell Drake that I’m working on the ‘Asset’, but I can’t neglect the other animals.” 

Scrambler swiped out around Eddie’s side at Treece and Eddie could hear his footsteps stop. Good. At least Treece still had sense enough to be scared of a giant wild animal. Suddenly the rustling of fabric and the distinct sound of a gun being cocked could be heard and Eddie glanced back, ready to try and defuse Treece’s trigger happy temper.

It was a split second, that’s all it took for Scrambler’s nervous energy to burst out of her. When you have a wild animal, at no point should you assume it’s been domesticated completely. It’s always going to have that hunter instinct. And so, with Scrambler already nervous and scared with Treece in the room, as Eddie turned his back to try and make Treece leave completely, Scrambler pounced.

It was only for a moment and Eddie recovers quickly, turning around and catching Scrambler in a gentle hold around her neck, but the damage was already done and Eddie could feel the blood dribbling down from the four claw punctures in his back. It began throbbing painfully in earnest a moment later and Eddie, still holding Scrambler still, turned his face minutely towards Treece, who stood smugly by the tent flap.

“Leave. Now.”

Treece laughed and turned out of the tent, waving his gun behind him in a crude and rather threatening ‘Goodbye’.

The only sound left was coming from the canister, which was practically rocking over. Eddie got a firm hold of Scrambler and then glanced over to the Symbiote. The black mass was swirling around in it’s container, rocking up against the sides and smashing itself against the glass.

“Hey stop that, I’m fine! Nothing stitches from Doctor Dan can’t fix,” although Eddie was starting to feel rather woozy, “Let’s just get you back in your cage and I’ll-” Eddie blinked, losing where he was in his sentence. He shook himself.

“I’ll get Scrambler back in her cage and get myself checked out.”

It took a while, but Eddie managed to lock Scrambler back securely in her cage. She licked at Eddie’s fingers, an apology of sorts. Eddie grabbed the canister and began the trek up the hill towards Dan and Anne’s cabin. Eddie just hopped Dan was actually home, and not out practicing somewhere.

It was almost dinner, maybe checking the mess hall would have been smarter, but Eddie was already halfway up the hill and his eyes were getting blurry with tears from the pain.

Through the maze of cabins, Eddie staggered with a tight grip on the canister. Eddie’s head was swimming but he knew he had to keep conscious until he got to Dan’s cabin. Eddie lifted the canister so he could see inside. The Symbiote was still squirming around, ever so often it would flatten itself against the glass, and once it saw Eddie looking, it let out a quiet screech. Eddie hugged the canister to his chest as he reached the cabin.

The lights were on in Dan’s cabin and Eddie thanked every God out there. Eddie let himself lean on the door for support as he gave three short knocks. A second later Dan opened the door and looked out.

“Eddie!? What’s wrong?” Dan was out the door and at Eddie’s side in a second. Dan’s hand grazed over the claw marks and Eddie hissed in pain.

Dan drew his hand back, looking at the blood on his hand and then carefully re-positioned his grip on Eddie.

“What happened?”

Dan pulled Eddie into his cabin, and as Eddie relayed the tale, Dan cleaned and dressed the wound.

  
  


\- - - - 

  
  


An hour later, after Dan had walked Eddie back to his cabin and promised to bring him dinner, Eddie sat on his bed, canister at his side.

His back was still stinging sharply, but he’d taken meds and was waiting for them to kick in. 

“Don’t worry, I asked Dan to get some Tater tots for you so you can eat soon.” The Symbiote twirled around in the canister, Eddie laughed and pulled the canister closer.

As Eddie watched the black mass twirl and twine into itself he felt himself calming from the events of the day. 

“I know I said a full day, but what if I let you out now… just for a bit maybe,” Eddie watched the Symbiote as he spoke and as soon as he offered freedom, it stopped dead and turned its mass towards him.

Eddie smiled and rubbed his thumb over the glass, the Symbiote followed the movement. 

He popped the lid.

The Symbiote didn’t explode out like the first time. It was slow, one tendril at a time as it made its way onto Eddie’s arm. Eddie lifted his other hand to support the rest of its mass and as it settled in his arms he could feel it relaxing. Then, slowly, so Eddie could stop it if he wanted to, the Symbiote began to sink into his flesh. 

It was a weird feeling, just like last time, only this time the crushing feeling of his lungs not responding did not accompany it. It felt strange, no doubt about that, but it was also soothing, calming, almost like a warm hug.

The pills must have been kicking in because Eddie laid down in bed, head feeling heavy. He lay on his side, as not to upset his injuries, and let his head sink into his pillow.

Eddie’s eyelids were drooping and the whole Symbiote had disappeared under his skin.

“Jus fer tonight, ok?” Eddie hummed under his breath, his eyes were closed and his body was relaxed. The pain from the scratches felt nonexistent. Eddie was seconds away from blacking out when he felt an all-encompassing purr throughout his body. It was deep, and felt like someone was warming his body from within.

**Alright Eddie, sleep well.**


	6. Chapter Six

Eddie woke feeling surprisingly well rested. The pain he had assumed would follow yesterday's accident was absent and he felt alert and awake, as opposed to his usual groggy. Eddie could hardly remember what he did when he got home, but he was chalking that up to the drugs.

Eddie slipped out of bed and went to make himself a cup of coffee. He searched the tiny kitchenette for a clean mug and by the time he found one, the coffee maker was beeping. Eddie grabbed up the pot and poured out a scalding cup of coffee, he was just bringing it to his lips when a very deep voice spoke.

**You know that stuff is not good for your body.**

Eddie choked and whipped around. Eddie scanned the room for the intruder but no one else stood in the small cabin. 

**If you want real sustenance, I believe Dan left some food on the stairs out front.**

The voice startled Eddie again and this time the cup went crashing to the floor. Eddie jumped away as the coffee went splashing everywhere.

“W-who said that? Come out right now.”

There was a moment of silence, broken only by the dripping of coffee, and then the skin on Eddie’s shoulder began to feel funny. Black goo began to bubble up and out and a long neck began to form. A head with two eyes and a large set of gleaming teeth joined it and a moment later Eddie had a black snake-like creature hanging off of him.

Eddie’s head felt light.

**Hello Eddie, my name is Venom.**

The ground came rushing up to meet Eddie and a second later he was sat on the floor in a puddle of coffee and broken mug. Eddie watched the snake-like creature move and all of a sudden the memory of letting the Symbiote out of its canister resurfaced.

“Y-you’re… the Symbiote?”

The creature’s mouth cracked into a toothy grin.

**Not just any Symbiote Eddie. Your Symbiote. I am yours and you are mine. And we are Venom.**

Eddie let out a strangled laugh, “This is crazy. What do you mean you’re my Symbiote? I’ve only been taking care of you for a day!”

The Symbiote- Venom’s, head twirled under itself and back up to face Eddie.

**You, Eddie, are the only human who has been kind to me since I was ripped from my home world.**

There was a pause as if Venom was contemplating something.

**Perhaps the only being that’s been nice to me ever. That is why I will tell you what Drake and the Life Foundation have planned.**

Eddie’s train of thought derailed yet again at that, “Have planned? What are you talking about?”

Venom came closer to Eddie’s face and Eddie shrunk back.

**Food first, then we can talk.**

“F-food?” Just as Eddie spoke, his stomach growled loudly.

**The animals must be hungry too Eddie. Do not leave Scrambler waiting.**

Eddie’s mouth bobbed open and shut.

“What even is my life…”

\- - - - 

Animals fed and watered, and herbivores out in their paddock, Eddie changed direction and headed towards the mess hall. 

Venom had disappeared back under Eddie’s skin, but his voice still rang clear in Eddie’s head.

**It has been too long since I’ve had a proper meal. Any one of these acrobats will do.**

Eddie tripped, “I’m sorry, what?!”

**I said I would like to have a proper meal. Human is appetizing to me.**

“Are you insane? No way are you eating any humans. Not while you’re in me!” Eddie grimaced.

**We have to eat sometime Eddie, tater tots, while delicious, cannot replace a succulent human brain.**

Eddie shivered, “Not an option, I’ll eat as many tater tots as you want but there is no way we’re eating human.”

“That’s...good?”

Eddie reeled back as he walked directly into Anne. He’d been so focused on what Venom was talking about, he’d completely missed walking into the mess hall. Anne stood beside him, food tray balanced on her hip, giving him a strange look.

“Are you okay Eddie? Dan said you were clawed up pretty badly last night. I’m sorry we weren’t there when Treece showed up, we could have stopped him.”

Anne went to place a comforting hand on his shoulder but then thought better of it.

“How’s your shoulder? What side are the scratches on?”

“Uhhh,” for a moment Eddie floundered. What side were the scratches on? All morning Eddie had been so preoccupied with animals and the sentient goo living inside of him who craved human flesh, that the pain of the scratches hadn’t been bothering him at all. 

Eddie reached a hand back and brushed over the scratches on his right. It didn’t hurt. Eddie pressed harder, but nothing happened.

**I’m glad you’ve noticed finally.**

“What did you do?” Eddie spoke aloud, ignoring the alarmed look he got from Anne.

**I can heal you Eddie. I have access to your body down to the cellular level, meaning I can heal any injury you may have.**

Eddie shoved his hand under his shirt, raking his fingers over the spot where he’d been scratched. No raised skin, no pain, no stitches. Eddie’s back had completely recovered and it was all thanks to Venom, the space alien taking up residence in his body.

“Eddie?” Anne’s sounded worried.

Eddie dragged a hand down his face and groaned, “Thank you Venom.”

**You are welcome, Eddie.**

“Eddie who is Venom?”

Eddie’s stomach growled loudly. Eddie let out a sigh, “Alright, I have a lot to fill you guys in on, but first we need tater tots. Lots of them.”

\- - - - 

“So… It… lives inside of you?” Dan asked, for what felt like the fiftieth time.

After filling two trays with tater tots and chocolate pudding, as Venom requested, Eddie took Dan, Anne, and Maria out to a quiet picnic bench out of the way of foot traffic.

It’s there that Eddie called Venom back out. He slipped out of Eddie’s shoulder and took the same snake-like form as before.

**Eddie and I are one now.**

Eddie’s three table mates pulled back as Venom slipped out from under Eddie’s skin, each one with a shocked or horrified expression.

**Now is not the time to worry about Eddie and my relationship-**

Eddie coughed at that, feeling his face reden. A strange feeling had taken root in Eddie’s stomach about the Symbiote ever since it had wrapped a tendril of itself around Eddie’s hand as a thank you. Eddie wasn’t as shocked or scared as he should be considering the situation. Eddie wondered if the Symbiote was doing something, changing how he felt, but at this point Eddie found it hard to care. Everywhere the Symbiote touched his skin felt warm and comforting and Eddie wasn’t about to complain.

**Drake has been planning with the Life Foundation ever since my kind were taken from our planet.**

“Kind? As in plural? As in multiple Symbiotes?” Dan sounded faint. This tidbit shocked Eddie back into the conversation.

“Didn’t Drake say you were the only one?” Anne leaned back in and dropped her voice giving Eddie a curious stare. 

**There are thousands of us on my planet, but the Life Foundation took twelve of us from our home to create highly trained assassins.**

Maria cut in here, “And how the hell do you know all this? Why should we believe anything you say?” She was playing with a small pocket knife, a sure sign that she was anxious.

**I was kept in an office away from the others. I was there at every meeting. I heard everything, all their plans.**

“And why are you telling us?” Anne spoke to Venom with a calculated stare.

Venom paused and seemed to shrink back into Eddie a bit. When he spoke he faced Eddie and spoke quieter than he had been.

**When I was ripped from my planet I thought I would hate Earth and all the people on it. I was tortured by Drake and that man with the gun… But I was also cast aside on my planet by my own kind. You, Eddie, have been the only kindness I have felt in my life. And you are surrounded by such caring people. I’d rather stay here with you Eddie, I’d rather this world not be subject to the horror that will be inflicted upon it by my kind.**

There was a lengthy pause as everyone took in what Venom had said. Finally, Eddie broke the silence.

“Venom, I trust you.” Venom blinked its large opelin eyes at him.

“I trust us,” Eddie amended. Venom’s toothy smile grew and it dove back under Eddie’s skin, sending warmth throughout his body.

“Well,” Maria spoke up, knife back in her pocket, “I guess I’m in. Eddie, I don’t know how dangerous this is gonna be, but I bet you could use a knife thrower.”

Eddie smiled, “Thanks Maria.”

“I’m in too, Eddie,” Anne glanced to Dan who nodded his agreement.

“Alright,” Eddie felt determined, if Drake and the Life Foundation were up to something, Eddie wasn’t going to sit by and let them do it. He didn’t exactly have the Avengers on speed dial, so it looked like it was up to him and his motley crew, “Venom, tell us everything.”

\- - - - 

**The Life Foundation came up with the circus as a way to train individuals who wouldn’t be missed if they went missing.**

They’d all moved from the bench on the edge of the property up to Dan and Anne’s cabin. Eddie stood in the middle of the room, with Venom extending out of his chest.

**Street people, people who’d had their lives ruined, losers.**

Eddie cleared his throat.

**When you joined, you were taught and trained in many different things, acrobatics, knife throwing, lock picking…**

Dawning horror stole over Anne’s face, “you mean I might be one of the ones they select?”

**Perhaps, you are very skilled in acrobatics.**

“Geez I might be picked too, you don’t hear me bragging about it…” Maria threw a crooked smile at Anne. It was a poor attempt at lightening the mood, but it fell flat as Anne shot a glare back at Maria.

**Anyways**

Venom called everyone’s attention back to him, hard to imagine it was pulled away, given the speaker was a space alien.

**The Life Foundation took twelve Symbiotes from our planet, enough for a few select circus members. Once the training is done the Symbiotes and circus members will be forced together and turned into the ultimate team of assassins.**

Eddie hummed, “And why did Drake give you to me? Sure I was taught lock picking and I ain’t half bad at juggling. But I hate heights so I never learned any of that acrobatic shit…”

Venom beamed, showing off its full rows of pointed teeth. It slithered back towards Eddie and around his shoulders until it stopped on Eddie’s chest, looking straight at him.

**That’s where Drake slipped up. Drake gave me to you as a test, to see if I would immediately kill you and use your body as a vessel. But that’s not how it works and Drake has no idea. We need you alive. Alive is better. And you are better. Drake is foolish, thinking that a loser couldn’t possibly make a good host.**

“Hey!” Eddie stuck his finger at Venom and Venom responded by draping his tongue around the appendage. Eddie went bright red and pulled his hand back, shoving it into his pocket. Dan and Anne shared a look, Maria rolled her eyes.

**Eddie is very strong, stronger than any other host. We are more powerful together than apart, and to defeat Drake we must become one.**

Eddie relaxed again, “I thought we were one. You know, all the Us crap.” 

**We are together Eddie, but we have not become one yet. Let me show you.**

Before Eddie could think to protest, Venom dove back inside of Eddie and suddenly his whole body was being covered by the viscous black of the Symbiote. The last part to be covered was the head and suddenly Eddie was gazing through eyes with far better vision.

Eddie looked down at his body and was greeted with rippling muscles and large clawed hands. 

“Eddie,” Eddie turned and saw Anne, leaning back on the bed, Dan’s arm thrown in front of her to shield her and Eddie turned with trepidation towards the small bedroom mirror to see what his face had turned into.

Eddie’s first thought was “terrifying” but a deeper, disgruntled voice in his head supplied “stronger”.

“Alright, I think that’s enough,” came Dan’s stern voice from behind him.

**Yeah V, I agree. I think we get it.**

Eddie thought it because his mouth didn’t seem to be working and suddenly the black mass of muscles shrunk and fell back under his skin.

Eddie stood, back to normal, in the centre of the room, gazing at his hands.

“Well,” Maria piped up from her chair at the back of the room, “there’s no way we can’t win with that thing.”

Venom slithered back out of Eddie’s shoulder.

**There is one way. Sound, loud sounds hurt me.**

“That’s right! Drake had speakers set up around the whole camp, if he sees us coming, he’ll just blast noise through the speakers and break us apart.”

Maria hummed, “Well then I think I can help with that one.” She pulled her knife back out of her pocket and flipped it around, “But I’m gonna need some help.”

“That’s fine, I’ll help Maria,” Anne spoke up from the bed. She seemed more relaxed now that Eddie was back to normal.

“Okay, good. So we have the speakers covered, what next?” Eddie now directed his question to Venom.

**Once we have eliminated all possible threats, once Drake is dead and this circus is disbanded, leave the rest to us. Together, we will dispose of the other Symbiotes and the Life Foundation.**

Eddie was suddenly reminded of Venom’s terrifying hunger for human, “We’re not eating him.”

Venom immediately pouted.

**But Eddie, he is a bad man, no one would miss him.**

“I don’t want to eat human thank you very much.”

**Eddie, he plans on killing Scrambler, whether or not you do what he says. He has tortured me and directly ruined countless people’s lives in this circus. He is a bad man. And bad men get eaten.**

There was a pregnant pause as Eddie thought.

Anne leaned forward and shook her head, “This isn’t something you should be thinking about!”

“It’s one man… And Drake really does deserve it,” Eddie hummed and gazed down at the Symbiote who looked pleased.

“Eddie no!”

**Yes Eddie!**

“When the time comes I’ll see how I feel.”

Anne slapped a hand over her face, Dan looked horrified, and Maria had a smile pulling at her mouth that only meant she was enjoying the chaos. 


	7. Chapter Seven

Throughout the next week Maria slowly but surely made her way around the camp, surreptitiously cutting all loudspeaker cables. It was a long and nerve racking process because she didn’t want to simply walk around and cut them, she had to be sneaky. There were cameras everywhere and they were all monitored by Treece on a daily basis. Each day, Maria picked a seemingly random place to practice and she’d set up the target board right in front of one of the wooden posts that held up the speakers. She’d run a normal practice, throwing knives as accurately as possible, hitting the board. Eventually, towards the end of her practice, Maria would flub one of her throws and it would sail over the board, and chop directly through the wire. It took her all week to get all the speakers disconnected. 

Meanwhile, Dan and Anne were finding reserves and rescue services to take the animals once the circus shut down. Eddie was particular on that one, and he would have been helping, but he knew that all attention would be on him so he had to stay back and distract Treece.

Eddie had to break apart from Venom, which didn’t make either of them very happy, and play dumb again. Eddie placed Venom back in the metal canister, promising Venom all the Tater tots and chocolate pudding he could get his hands on and then continued about his days. At the end of each day, he’d place the Symbiote back in the animal building and lock the door, making sure to let Treece see him do it. 

As long as Treece didn’t know that they had fused, they were safe. He’d only been attached to the Symbiote for one day before they had to split again, but the rest of the week not being able to have the Symbiote with him was strangely hard. It left something in his chest feeling cold and knotted.  

The next stage of their plan, after the speakers were disabled, was to go straight for Drake while he slept. Eddie and Venom together would go to Drake’s cabin, take out the extra speakers that were in Drake’s house, and then finish off the man himself. Once Drake was gone Anne, Dan and Maria would start getting the animal’s to new home’s and sorting out the actual members of the circus. While they were taking care of the people, Eddie and Venom would be heading for the Life Foundation to take out the other Symbiotes and destroy any reminisce of a plan the Foundation may have had. 

Eddie would admit that there were large gaps in their plan, but at this point, neither Eddie nor his friends knew when the Life Foundation would set their own plan into motion.

Treece had been by a few times. He always asked if Eddie had made any headway and then he’d threaten Scrambler or the other animals. It was all Eddie could do to not just set their plan into motion early and attack Treece most days.

But the Monday of the next week dawned and everyone in their small group were itching to go. Maria was constantly playing with her knives and even Dan had taken to juggling whatever he could get his hands on. They’d gone over their plan a few times, late at night in Dan and Anne’s cabin, and Anne still wasn’t completely happy with sending Eddie in alone to do all the work.

“I’m just saying, something could go wrong and you’d be alone,” Anne spoke in a whisper over breakfast. 

They were all sitting at their usual table at the back, farthest from the door. Anne was leaned over the table, talking to Eddie as he spooned pudding into the feeding slot of Venom’s canister.

“I’ll be fine! It’s just Drake, he’s a small guy! And once we’ve got all the speakers cut there’ll be nothing to worry about.”

“Except for fire,” Maria commented, she was sat back in her chair, peeling an apple.

Before Venom had been put back in his Canister he’d left them with one more piece of information, which was that his only other weakness was fire. It was a last moment addition and they’d all been about to question Venom more when the black goo had slithered back into his canister and shut up. 

“Except for fire, thank you Maria, but how in the hell is Drake going to set a fire big enough to take us down. C’mon Anne, we’ll be fine.”

Anne didn’t look convinced but she didn’t argue.

“Anyways,” Dan had a knack for changing the subject when it needed changing, “We’re all going to practice in the small tent today for a few hours, feel like joining in?”

Eddie shook his head as he tried to cram three tater tots into the small feeding slot, “Naw, not today,” and then in a lower voice, “I wanna spend the day with the animals before they get sent out.”

Dan nodded, glancing at the closest table to them, “that’s fair. Well, we’ll see you at dinner. Be safe.”

Eddie shut the slot and pulled the canister close to his chest, “Thanks Dan, you guys stay safe too.”

Eddie’s quickly glanced down at Venom where he swirled in the canister and Eddie’s heart beat a little faster. He stopped in his tracks, heart pounding.

Anne noticed and waved her hand a little in Eddie’s direction, “Eddie… Are you okay?”

Eddie’s face felt hot as he glanced up from the Symbiote in his arms to his closest friend. What was he feeling?

“Can I,” Eddie broke off feeling stupid but took a deep breath to continue, “Could I talk to you for a second Anne… In privet?”

Anne looked worried but nodded and followed Eddie out of the mess hall.

When they got to the animal building, Eddie deposited the Symbiote inside and then walked with Anne around the outermost edge of the animal enclosure.

Eddie’s hands were sweating as he tried to come up with the proper way of saying any of his thoughts out loud without sounding insane.

“So what did you want to talk to me about? The plan?” Anne stopped and picked a few blades of grass, slowly ripping them up.

“No… Not the plan, it’s about Venom,” Eddie’s face felt hot as he averted his gaze from her questioning stare.

“What about Venom? Is he hurting you Eddie?” Anne instantly sounded concerned and Eddie’s eyes jumped back to her.

“No! No he’s never hurt me… not on purpose,” Eddie stopped walking and groaned, “It’s about… our relationship and how… I… feel… about Venom?”

It came out as more of a question and for a moment Anne’s face was a mask of shock that made Eddie sweat bullets, but then she burst out laughing.

“W-what! What’s so funny, quite it!” Eddie now resembled a tomato as he pushed Anne in the shoulder.

Anne snorted and wiped at her misty eyes, “I’m sorry this is just super weird and I don’t know how else to respond…”

Eddie’s heart dropped. He knew it was weird, he’d known every time his heart had squeezed or his stomach had flipped that it wasn’t normal, so why was hearing it out loud so crushing.

Anne must have noticed the hurt on Eddie’s face because she sobered immediately.

“I’m sorry Eddie that wasn’t very nice. It’s not that weird, Venom seems like a good Symbiote…”

At Eddie’s unconvinced face, Anne sighed and grabbed Eddie’s shoulders.

“Listen Eddie… You’re not weird for falling in love, what does Venom make you feel.”

Eddie was silent for a moment until the damn burst and all his thoughts spilled out, “He makes me feel safe, and loved and warm. He does something to me and I… I don’t know it just makes me feel happy, happier than I’ve felt since…” Eddie stopped himself.

Anne’s serious face fell into a soft, concerned smile, “Eddie…”

“But I know… It’s weird! He’s a space alien, he doesn’t even have a body- and- and I received him like an animal to train… I’ve been treating him like an animal but he’s… he’s not, and my heart is giving me all these feelings that I don’t know… I can’t deal with- I don’t know how to be okay with this-”

“Eddie!” Anne interrupted his spirul, “Eddie does Venom make you happy?”

“Well, y-yes.”

“And does Venom make you feel safe?”

Eddie’s shoulders relaxed, “Yeah he does…”

“Eddie,” Anne’s hands fell down from Eddie’s shoulders to his hands and she squeezed them, “Do you love this alien space goo?”

Eddie snorted and looked down to their entwined hands. He remembered how he used to feel when these same hands held him while they both slept, cupped his cheeks when they kissed, of that feeling they gave him. Eddie realized that they didn’t do that anymore, that they hadn’t for a long time.

“Eddie you’ve been sad for a while now, I can tell. If Venom makes you happy, if he makes you feel warm and safe… and if you love him. Well I don’t see a problem with that.”

Eddie thought of the love he had for his animals. The deep, familier love he had for Scrambler. This wasn’t that and Eddie knew it, he could feel it in his heart.

“Eddie do you love Venom?”

He didn’t hesitate.

“Yes I do."

 

\- - - - 

 

After hours of roughhousing and playing with Scrambler and Spots Eddie sat on the floor beside a relaxed Jamie. Jamie sat at Eddie’s side, licking his hand so he could run it down her fur to groom her. Because of Jamie’s age and blindness, the lioness was far gentler and tamer than the other two big cats. Scrambler and Spots were having fun in a shared enclosure, laying together and butting heads. The horses, camel and zebra were all out in the big paddock, grazing and running around. Eddie never felt as connected with the herbivores as he did with the carnivores, maybe that’s why it felt so natural when he was with Venom. 

Up until this point Eddie had been quietly talking to the Symbiote still in its container. Eddie glanced around the room before he pulled the canister closer to his side and popped the lid. Venom immediately slithered out and onto Eddie’s offered hand. The familiar warmth enveloped him instantly and Eddie sighed as he leaned back, stroking Jamie’s head.

“Hey Venom.”

**Hello Eddie.**

Jamie suddenly sniffed the air and a growl escaped her throat.

“What’s wrong Jamie? What do you smell?” Eddie went to stroke a reassuring hand down her spine but Jamie moved away from the touch.

**She could be smelling me Eddie.**

“Maybe… Jamie’s old, and she’s blind so she relies on her nose to find her way around. Do I smell different?”

**You smell good Eddie.**

Eddie snorted, “Thanks V.”

**Eddie, touch Jamie again.**

Eddie lifted a brow but did as Venom asked. He stroked down Jamie’s back and despite her growling she sat still. As Eddie pet her, Venom bubbled up to the surface of Eddie’s skin and, with a quick slither, transferred right into Jamie.

Eddie gasped. 

“Venom no! Get out right now!!”

Jamie stood and circled Eddie, snapping her jaw and making small huffing noises. 

“Venom…” Eddie turned with her, keeping his eyes on her. He had no idea why Venom would go into her, and he also didn’t know what happened when Symbiotes fused with animals. Eddie gasped as Jamie’s pupils broke apart and reformed. It was creepy, but all Eddie could do was watch as the lioness settled down in front of Eddie. 

Suddenly Jamie pushed her head forward into Eddie’s raised hand, and the Symbiotes black mass bubbled and slithered back into Eddie’s skin.

“What the hell were you doing V? She’s old she doesn’t need any kind of stress!”

**I was fixing her, Eddie.**

Puzzled, Eddie squinted at the lioness. She seemed a bit dazed, head shooting back and forth, eyes darting around. Eddie looked closer and then it dawned on him.

Jamie’s milky pupils had darkened and she seemed to be looking around with more intent in her gaze. Venom had repaired her eyes. Eddie’s vision begun to blur as the Lioness let out a quite purr and rubbed her head into Eddie’s chest.

“V you- thank you V…” Eddie smushed Jamie’s face in his hands and rubbed at her ears, keeping her from keeling him over with her weight. He laughed wetly and rubbed his face into the lionesses soft fur.

**You are welcome Eddie. I thought she would be more comfortable this way.**

Eddie wiped his face and cleared his throat, “You really are something Venom.”

**Something good Eddie?** Venom’s voice sounded teasing in tone, but Eddie responded seriously.

“The best,” something inside of him curled and coiled making his stomach feel fuzzy, Eddie laughed before another thought struck him.

Once they were done, once all this was over, once they’d taken care of Drake and the Life Foundation, and helped the animals and people find new homes, Eddie would still have Venom. Or he’d like to at least. Perhaps Venom would want to try and get back to his home planet. The idea saddened Eddie, but it wasn’t his call to make.

“Hey, what are you going to do after this?”

**We strike at midnight after everyone has gone to bed Eddie.**

Eddie shook his head and stood up, pulling and coaxing Jamie back towards her enclosure, “No, I mean after the plan is done. Once we’ve gotten rid of all the loose ends, what are you planning to do?”

There was a pause, a silence in Eddie’s head and Eddie held his breath as he waited. He latched the cage closed and walked over to the work bench to sit down. After a moment, Venom spoke.

**I’d like to stay with you Eddie, I have only seen a small part of Earth and I’d like to continue to explore it… with you.**

A happy, warm feeling bubbled in Eddie’s chest and Eddie smiled, “Cool, I’d like that too. Maybe we could travel around a bit! See Rome... See Paris?”

**I’d like that Eddie.**

There was a smile in Venom’s voice as it reverberated around in Eddie’s head. Eddie sighed happily and leaned back on the table.

“I could go back into writing, do some journalism again… I’ve missed it honestly.”

**No one will deny us a scoop, or we will eat them!**

Eddie laughed, “Yeah, no.”

**You are no fun Eddie.**

Eddie smiled harder, his face almost felt like it would crack in two. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d smiled so much. But then… he could remember... Eddie sobered some, those days were gone, far behind him and it was his fault. Eddie’s heart throbbed painfully and a clawing anxiety stole over him. It wasn’t that he wanted those days back anymore… But what if he messed this up too? Would Venom leave him?

**Eddie?**

“You’ll stay with me V, forever right? You really won’t leave?”

A warm calming feeling rolled over him from within and Eddie’s anxiety seemed to dull somewhat. All of a sudden, the Symbiote emerged from Eddie’s chest. He grew and grew until he was a full head and shoulders protruding from Eddie’s waist. Venom’s arms circled around Eddie’s neck and pulled him closer until Eddie’s forehead rested against the smooth black of Venom’s face. There was something beautiful about the liquid blackness of Venom’s skin and Eddie almost went cross eyed staring at the opalescence of Venom’s narrowed eyes.

**You are mine, I am yours. I will never leave your side Eddie.**

Eddie’s chest vibrated and a choked laugh escaped his throat.

“I love you V.”

Venom’s large, toothy mouth spread into a grin and the Symbiote stuck out his long pink tongue, painting a strip across Eddie’s lower jaw. Eddie shivered. 

**My Eddie.**

Eddie hugged Venom close and as he did the Symbiote sunk back into Eddie’s skin, leaving him feeling warm and secure.

“Alright V, as much as I don’t want to, we have to split for dinner,” At the grumblings in Eddie’s head, Eddie stood up and walked back over to the canister, “I know, I know, but it’s one more night and then you can say goodbye to this tin can.”

Venom grudgingly slithered back down Eddie’s arm and into the open top of the canister. Eddie closed the lid and lifted the canister on his hip.

“Alright. Dinner, back here, wait until midnight and then I’ll pick you up and we’ll get this show on the road.”

Venom swirled around in the small space of the canister and Eddie nodded, heading out of the animal building. The animal’s had been fed and watered already, and he’d bring the herbivores back in after dinner. Eddie marched in the direction of the mess hall with a swelling in his chest, heart pounding. This would be over tonight.

 

\- - - - 

 

Dinner was a quiet affair. Everyone was too nervous to talk much, and the only sound was the squishing noise of Venom eating tater tots. Anne looked ready to jump up at any moment and Maria had carved a sizable divot into the table by the time they were done their food. When Eddie dropped his fork on his plate by accident, Dan kicked him so hard in the shin that Eddie saw stars.

“Eddie oh god I’m so sorry!!”

Eddie shook his hand, eyes watering, brushing off Dan’s apology. Eddie had nervous energy as well, and if it weren’t for Venom sitting beside him in his canister, Eddie would probably be kicking people and gouging the table too.

They wrapped up dinner with hushed good byes and good lucks.

 

\- - - -

 

Eddie carried Venom back to the animal building in silence. He’d seen Treece follow them out at a distance so he’d forgone talking to the Symbiote until they made it somewhere private. Once they reached the animal building, Eddie put Venom on the floor and went to herd the herbivores back into their pens for the night. The Zebra was the last to be pulled into her cage and then Eddie went back to Venom’s side, stooped down and lifted the canister on to his hip.

“Alright V, I’m gonna leave the top open and I’ll see you in a few hours…”

The Symbiote rolled and waved in the canister, a goodbye.

 

\- - - -

 

The clock seemed to tick by too slowly, but that was only because Eddie had been sitting on his bed staring at it for the last five hours. Midnight hit and Eddie was on his feet and out his front door in record time. He made sure to lock his front door and pull down the blinds in front of his one window before he left. 

Eddie quickly made his way down the sloping hill and around the tent to the animal building. It wasn’t like Eddie hadn’t been out at night before, heck, some mornings he woke up so early it was still dark out, but this night felt different. It was still summer, so the air was humid and a light breeze made the leaves shuffle in the trees. Every sound was like thunder to Eddie’s eardrums. Every twig snap, or bat flapping around catching insects made Eddie’s heart leap into his throat. When he made it to the animal buildings door it was a miracle he hadn’t suffered a heart attack. 

Eddie fiddled with the lock for a few seconds. He looked around behind him, making sure no one had followed him. It was silent, Eddie thanked every God watching over him. The lock popped open and Eddie slipped in silently, he could see the canister on the table he’d left it on and Eddie made his way across the room.

“Venom, I’m here!” The whisper felt almost too loud in the quiet darkness of the animal building. The lid of the canister lifted, Eddie could see the Symbiote lifting it’s mass out of its small container and then-

“Hey Brock.”

Eddie screamed, high pitched and terrified as he jumped about a mile and spun to face the figure that had snuck into the animal building behind Eddie.

Treece stood in the doorway, he had a gun in one hand and an air horn in the other. Eddie’s heart stopped beating in that moment and his eyes darted helplessly behind him to the canister. At his scream, some of the animal’s had woken up as well and Eddie could hear Scrambler’s confused chirps from within the darkened cage. Treece also heard it and his eyes flicked over to the cage. A sly grin spread across Treece’s face as he pointed his gun towards the cages instead and that’s when Eddie acted.

“Venom!” With that shout Eddie felt a solid mass hitting his back and then he was charging, not even waiting for the Symbiote to fully absorb into him, he had to stop Treece from-

The air horn went off so loud and so close to Eddie’s head that Eddie thought he’d go deaf. But before he could register his pounding eardrums, a thunderous pain shot down through Eddie’s head and into his every limb. Another blast of the horn and it was like Eddie was being shaken apart with coils of pain rickashaying through his whole body. Eddie felt Venom slipping from his grasp and he desperately tried to hold on. He covered his ears and bared his teeth, screaming through the pain, but with a final blast, the Symbiote went flying from Eddie’s body, splashing somewhere far away from him in the darkened building. Eddie was hunched over, panting and shaking, he heard Treece stepping forward and he instantly backed up.

“You know Brock, the Symbiote they gave you wouldn’t respond to our commands,” Something hard cracked over Eddie’s head and his vision swam, “So we decided to have a bit of fun with it before we killed it. You were a meal Brock.”

Eddie crawled away and stood back up, facing Treece in the dark. He could see the gun and the air horn in Treece’s hands and he knew he had to get one or the other away from Treece, knew he had to find Venom and end this quick before the sound allerted anyone else, if Treece hadn’t already told Drake what was going on.

“To bad for you that didn’t work out so well huh,” Eddie huffed, inching in the direction that Venom had fallen.

He saw Treece raise the gun, saw his finger slide onto the trigger.

Eddie dove out of the way and the bullet whizzed past his side, far too close. Next Treece came right for him, gun in hand. He grabbed Eddie by the collar and hauled him up, before socking him across the face. Eddie spat blood and tried to wriggle free of Treece’s grasp, but he was the strong man for a reason. Eddie looked around desperately, hoping to see the Symbiote splashed across the ground, moving back towards him. No such luck, and Treece came back with a left hook that rattled Eddie’s teeth in his skull. 

“Don’t you get it Brock? You were never important, always expendable.” Treece was panting, holding Eddie up with a hand around his throat.

Eddie spat his next mouthful of blood directly into Treece’s face.

Treece flinched away and in that moment Eddie slammed his head forward and smashed his forehead into Treece. Treece let go of Eddie but that didn’t help much as stars burst in font of Eddie’s eyes, skull throbbing. Eddie fell to the ground and began pulling himself away from the swearing strong man. Treece pulled up his gun again and Eddie’s heart sank. He was too dizzy, too beaten and bruised to keep this up for much longer and Treece was still rearing to go. 

Eddie made a desperate move to knock Treece’s legs out from under him but only succeeded in getting a boot to the chest. Eddie coughed and gagged as Treece kneeled down to his level, gun fixed on Eddie’s face. His face must look a mess and that last kick had definitely earned him a broken rib or two. Eddie’s head fell back to the ground and he didn’t move.

“Where’s your symbiote now?”

Tears leaked from Eddie’s eyes as he silently prayed for Venom to show back up, to save him. 

**V, please…**

And then…

A large black shape crashed into Treece and knocked him away from Eddie. Eddie scrambled back until he hit a crate and he watched as Treece’s cries of pain were cut short as his head was bitten clean off by the creature sitting on top of him, pinning him down. Treece’s body stopped twitching after a few seconds.

Next thing Eddie knew the black creature was padding towards him and Eddie shrunk back. It looked like… Scrambler, but it’s eyes were large and opaline and-

“V-venom?”

Venom-Scrambler licked her chops as she stalked her way over to Eddie. Eddie reached out a hand, to pet down Scrambler’s back, and also to take back the Symbiote but Venom seemed to have a different idea. A moment later Scrambler was on top of Eddie, licking his face with a long, pink tongue. 

Eddie laughed hysterically and tried in vain to push the large cat off of himself but she persisted until Eddie finally felt a much smaller, much rounder tongue licking away at his hair and face. Eddie opened his eyes to see Scrambler laying against his chest, in full grooming mode.

“Hey there honey, you alright?”

Scrambler licked her paw and then went to lick Eddie some more.

**I like her Eddie, we have similar tastes.**

The air left Eddie’s lungs and a wobbly smile broke out on his face, “Hi love…” 

**Hello Eddie.**

The pain in Eddie’s face and ribs subsided and Eddie could tell Venom had healed him. Eddie slumped against the crate he was leaned against and took a deep breath in. The world had gone back to the silence it had been before, apart from the wide awake and startled animals that were now calling out in alarm.

Eddie shakily got to his feet and started coaxing Scrambler back over into her cage. He closed the latch and walked back over towards Treece’s body.

**What now Eddie? I am still hungry.**

“Now,” Eddie stared down at Treece’s body, eyes unfocused, “Now we kill Drake.”

Eddie’s head snapped back towards the door and he ran for it. As Eddie exited the building, Venom began to wrap Eddie in his black mass. Layer after layer, muscle and flesh and black shiny skin covered Eddie until he was running up the hill, fully encompassed by the Symbiote. Venom was complete at last.

They ran towards Drake’s house but as they got closer they slowed into a stealthy trot. Walking around to the side of the house they looked through the darkened widow into the main living space of the house. All the lights were off but they could see pretty well with Venom’s heightened sight. The main room was was empty, a laptop was left out on the kitchen table, but apart from that there was nothing indicating that Drake was still awake.

**Eddie, I sense something, I do not like it.**

And Eddie could feel it too. Venom and Eddie’s minds were melded so thoroughly Eddie didn’t know where his mind stopped and Venom’s started. It was like Eddie was staring through a mask, but at the same time, Venom’s eyes were his own. Eddie could feel the chill crawling up his spin and tickling at the back of his brain. They looked around behind themselves and back down the hill but everything was quiet. No one had ventured out of their houses. 

‘Keep me posted on that V.’

They turned back to the window, and with one large clawed hand, slipped it under the window and undid the latch from within. As quiet as they could, they slipped the window open and climbed through.

**This is foolish Eddie, we should be breaking down his door and devouring him before he has time to react.**

For a moment Eddie felt Venom pulling control away from him but he firmly pulled it back.

‘We’re gonna do it my way V, I’d rather do this as quiet as possible.’

Venom scoffed in Eddie’s head and Eddie tried to ignore it.

They got to Drake’s bedroom door before Venom commented again.

**Eddie, I really do not like this, break the door down now.**

Eddie’s spin was still crawling but he stuck firmly to his plan. Quick and quiet. They placed their hand onto the door handle and paused at a creak from the other side.

**NOW EDDIE!**

The wall exploded and they was hurled across the living room and into the back wall. Bricks and drywall went flying under their weight and their head smacked against the brick, vision blurring for a moment before Venom’s healing mass cleared it again. They climbed out of the hole they had made and stared through the dust at the large form walking out of Drake’s bedroom. 

It looked like them, large and built with long clawed hands, but ugly… so very ugly. It’s skin was silver instead of Venom’s liquid black and it’s head was pointed and nasty looking. Eddie recoiled at the sight.

“Venom, is that…”

**Drake has a Symbiote as well. And it’s Riot!**

Before Eddie could ask who Riot was, Riot was forming a giant mace out of his arm and swinging it down over their head. They only barly ducked and rolled out of the way before the mace smashed into the brick wall and punched a hole straight through to the outside. They jumped back to their feet and were promptly rammed through the wall and onto the dirt path out front. Dust flew and Venom and Riot were locked in a twisting, writhing mass of fists and flaws. They dragged their clawed hand across Riots face, tearing his mouth open with one violent jerk and momentarily exposing Drake on the inside before the flesh fused back over and Riot created a giant blade with his hand. Riot stabbed it into their belly and a hot, agonising pain shot through Eddie’s stomach before Venom wrenched it out of themselves and healed the wound closed again. Venom flipped them both around and threw Riot away from themselves as they did. They ran back at Riot, clawed hands raised. 

Riot formed another large club like shape out of his arm and spun it around above his head before swinging it down and catching them in the gut, throwing them down the sloping hill. They rolled and rolled until they finally dug their clawed hands into the dirt and stopped their trajectory. Quickly looking back up, they were met with the hammer object crashing down onto their head, crushing Eddie’s skull which reshaped and healed itself immediately. Eddie didn’t have time to be horrified at literally feeling his skull crack open and reform before claws were digging into their neck and tearing Venom’s face off of Eddie’s. Riot’s silver skin rolled back as well until Drake was revealed and Eddie was brought too close to his disgusting, grinning face.

“Hello Brock, it looks like I misjudged you.”

Eddie glared hard at Drake’s stupidly smug face and didn’t say a word. Venom was preoccupied trying to get back over Eddie and Eddie could tell it wouldn’t happen anytime soon. He had to stall a bit longer.

“We thought you’d be an easy meal, an interesting test for our defect Symbiote.”

“Funny, I just heard the same thing from Treece before Venom bite his fucking head off.”

Eddie wondered how he’d never noticed the cold, murderous look in Drake’s eyes before, “Too bad,” Drake stated, sounding bored, “We were going to give him his own Symbiote.”

“I see you’ve got your own, how’d you get one to listen to you?” At this point Eddie didn’t care what he said, but he could feel Venom slowly but surely moving his mass slowly back over Eddie’s neck so he continued to stall.

Riot’s large bladed hand came up to Eddie’s neck and pushed so hard he could feel the skin breaking, “We came to an agreement you could say… He works for me, and in return I provide hosts for as many Symbiotes as he wants.”

Swallowing only pushed the blade closer to Eddie’s neck so he tried to repress the action. 

“Now Mr. Brock, it’s been lovely toying with you but I really do have things to do so…” Riot’s face slipped back over Drake’s head and with one, ruthless slice, cut Eddie’s neck open. He dropped Eddie’s body to the ground and, bending down, started tearing at Venom, trying to pry the Symbiote off Eddie’s body.

Eddie’s mouth hung open in shock as he gagged and gasped wetly. He shakily brought a hand up to his throat and he could feel the dark liquid squirting over his fingers. Tears burned in his eyes and streamed down his face as he tried to speak, but he couldn’t get the words out.

At the edge’s of his darkening mind he could sense something. A sound. It sounded like a wounded animal, whining and whimpering. Below him, Eddie could feel and hear Riot struggling with extracting Venom from his body and that warmed his quickly slowing heart. Eddie thought of Anne, and Dan and Maria, Mrs. Chen and of Scrambler in her cage. Everyone would either be turned into a mindless assassin or thrown aside, killed maybe. He’d failed and he was going to die in a puddle of his own blood while his Symbiote was killed beside him. This was all his fault. If only they’d busted through the door, maybe they could have gotten the drop on Riot, maybe they could have… maybe he should have… Eddie’s throat gurgled up more blood. A waste of space, that’s what he was, always had been… 

“Ve-nom,” Eddie managed to breath out before his vision blurred to nothing.

All of a sudden, like Eddie had been struck from behind, his body went shooting down the path and into the large circus tent. Eddie’s sight was still too muddled to tell what was going on, had Drake kicked him? An angry scream from behind the tent flaps disproved Eddie’s theory and a second later his neck was sowing itself back together, black goo enveloping him once more and soon he stood back on his feet, Venom’s voice rumbled in his head.

**Eddie are you alright? I’m sorry, Riot knows my weak points… Eddie you almost-**

“I’m alright love,” Venom practically purred at the endearment, “We need to think of a plan, we can’t keep fighting blindly, Riot is strong.”

**Not stronger than us Eddie!**

Riot came bounding through the tent flaps and barreled into them, knocking them into the centre of the ring, straight through a metal support beam that cracked from the heavy blow.

**Maybe a little stronger…**

They stood back up shakily and faced Riot as he came towards them.

“Enough of this!” shouted Riot, lunging at them.

They met him head on and grappled, throwing punches and slicing skin when they could get a clean hit in. Riot would go down after a few strong blows from them, but then be right back up and knocking them around like they were a rag doll. Eddie was starting to get tired, which meant Venom was getting really tired. The longer the fight dragged on, the more Eddie realized that they were terribly outmatched.

They were on the ground again, Venom furiously healing them from yet another of Riot’s large bladed hands when they sensed something in the air and the atmosphere changed drastically. Riot stalked towards them, panting slightly, seeming unfazed by the switch.

The air smelled of smoke and their eyes stung. They got up off the ground and backed up a bit, hitting the broken support beam. The tent was caving in slightly above them and the heat was intensifying around them. The tent was on fire, that much they could tell. But how? Suddenly a plan struck in Eddie’s head and Venom immediately picked up on it and a large toothy grin spread across their face.

They launched themselves at Riot, throwing him to the ground and struggling to keep him down. He pushed himself back up and they smashed his head into the concrete again and again. They needed a moment, only a moment of lost concentration and they would have him. Tendrils of Venom reached back behind them and coiled around the broken support beam, pulling and wiggling it out of the ground. In front of them they sunk their clawd fingers into Riot’s pearl white eyes with a sickening  _ squelch _ and he let out a screech of pain, thrashing below them. The beam popped free. 

With a desperate and violent shove, Riot’s bladed arm buried itself deep into their chest and Eddie gagged, throwing up blood. It had hit something vital, and Venom would need time to fix this one, time they didn’t have as they could literally hear the groaning of the tents vinyl as it sagged with the flames. Venom gagged as well, but with all the strength they had left, they brought the large metal beam up and over their head and down, plunging it through Riot’s chest and into the ground below them. And then they were off, half running, half staggering away, still with Riot’s blade embedded in their chest and Riot’s enraged screams ringing in their ears. They headed for clean air, a cool breeze just out of reach beyond the half caved in flaps of the tent. And as they rolled out into said fresh air, the entire tent collapsed into itself with a large plume of fire shooting up into the sky. Riot’s screams were soon drowned out by the blaze. 

They backed up hastily, getting as far away from the blaze as they could before wrenching the large blade from their chest. Venom absorbed back into Eddie’s body to heal him quicker from the inside and Eddie sat in the dry grass, panting and gagging on blood.

**Hold on Eddie!**

“V-venom, are you gonna be okay?” spots danced in Eddie’s vision and he blinked in vain to try and clear them.

**I will be fine Eddie, please lie back.**

“Eddie!” The shout came from just to the right of the inferno and Eddie glanced up. 

He was greeted by Anne and Dan, both running towards him, Dan held a fuel tank in his hand and Anne was clutching her arm, the fabric on it burned off showing reddened skin underneath.

“Anne are you okay?” Eddie rasped, he tried to stand but fell back into the grass instead, chest aching sharply.

**Eddie stay still!**

“Am I okay? Are you okay!? You have a hole in your chest Eddie!” Anne crashed to the ground beside Eddie and stared with wide eyes at the large silver blade, dripping with blood.

Eddie groaned and layed back in the grass, throwing an arm over his face.

Venom slowly but surely fixed Eddie’s internal organs before closing the gaping wound in Eddie’s chest. Eddie stayed spread out on the ground, panting, and ran a hand over his torso.

Dan dropped down into the grass on Eddie’s other side, careful to stay clear of the blade. He tossed the fuel tank to the side and rubbed his hands through his hair, groaning.

“Is he dead?” Dan glanced over at Eddie, hope and fear in his eyes, “Is Drake… is that thing dead?”

“Yeah he- he’s gone. How’d you two know where I was?” Eddie sat up on his forearms.

Anne rolled her eyes, “The three of us knew you’d need help the second you left after dinner.”

“Three of us?” as if on queue, Maria cam staggering around the edge of the tent, another large fuel tank in her hands. She was panting and covered in smoke, but otherwise unharmed. As soon as she made it to their side she passed out face first in the grass, Anne patted her back gently.

“We waited till midnight then snuck out and headed over to Drake’s house to wait for you, but when you showed up… well… Drake threw you through a wall and we decided we needed a better plan then knives.”

Maria lifted a hand and gestured vaguely, face still firmly in the ground, “Knives woulda worked perfectly if Drake hadn’t gotten ’mself a lil friend…”

“Yes, it was a solid plan Maria… Anyways, once you two ended up in the tent Dan had the idea to set the thing ablaze.”

Eddie looked over to Dan who was now rubbing his face with his shirt, trying to clean off the smoke and dust, “Dan did?”

Dan glanced up and offered a weak smile, “I just remembered what Venom said, about fire being a weakness of Symbiotes.”

Dan looked back to the now smoldering pile of vinyl and metal, “Plus, it was sort of therapeutic to burn it down.”

Eddie huffed a laugh and turned back to watch the pile as well. At that moment Venom snaked out of Eddie’s upper chest and wrapped around Eddie’s shoulder, laying his head on the hand Eddie offered up.

“Hi V,” Eddie didn’t even think as he gave the Symbiote a small peck on the head. Everyone was too zoned out or simply did not care to notice.

**Hi Eddie, I am very tired… and hungry.**

Eddie laid his head on top of Venom and Venom sunk back under Eddie’s skin, “I bet Mrs. Chen would open the mess hall for us.” Eddie pondered as the last standing support beam came crashing to the ground, sending up a ploom of smoke and ash into the air. 

**Chocolate pudding Eddie?**

“As much as you want love.”


	8. Chapter Eight

No one got any sleep for the rest of the night. Of course with the huge fire and minor explosions, everyone and their dog were woken up. Some people seemed shocked and horrified, others just seemed tired and grumpy.

Mrs. Chen opened the mess hall so people could have coffee and drinks until the fire department finished their investigation and clean up. Eddie, Anne, Dan and Maria sat quietly at their usual table, Eddie eating as much pudding as Mrs. Chen would give him and the other three chugging coffee.

She’d given him a funny look and told them all to wash up.

“People might wonder,” she said, glancing over their ash covered clothing and Anne’s large burn. Then she’d turned and walked back to the cafeteria line.

Maria and Dan used napkins and tap water to clean themselves up as Anne poked carefully at her arm. Dan had already done the best he could with washing and dressing it and now Anne just sat with a scrunched up face, Dan slowly rubbing her back.

Eddie was sucking down another full cup of chocolate pudding when Venom’s voice spoke up in his head.

**Eddie, please transfer me to Anne, I will heal her burn.**

Eddie groaned and nodded, thankful that he could at least stop shoveling pudding in his mouth, he was practically breathing it in at this point.

“Annie, Venom’s offering to heal your arm,” Eddie reached his hand across the table, palm up, and waited.

“Oh, how kind of him,” Anne took Eddie’s hand hesitantly and waited. She gasped as the black mass transferred over to her and then sighed, no doubt as the pain slowly ebbed away from her arm.

Eddie put his head in his hand and leaned sleepily on the table. His head felt oddly empty at the moment and he felt stupid for already being so dependent. It wasn’t like Venom was always talking or making his presence known, but Eddie just felt more empty now, his head felt quieter. A flat nothing spread in his mind where there had been a comforting static. Eddie couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be separated from Venom for a long period of time. Eddie played with the lid of a pudding cup as Anne pulled her gauze off and stared down at the fresh pink skin of her arm.

“Thank you Venom,” she breathed, and then after a beat, laughed and nodded, “Alright, alright, I’ll pass you back.”

Eddie’s head shot back up and as Anne took his hand once more and the Symbiote transferred back into Eddie, Eddie felt the comfortable static return, and he smiled lazily.

**Hello Eddie, please continue.**

“Hey love,” Eddie spoke quietly picking his spoon back up with a sigh.

Maria choked on her next sip of coffee, Dan looked at him warily and Anne smiled softly. Eddie ignored all of that in favour of shoving a spoon full of pudding into his mouth, effectively shutting himself up. 

“So,” Dan spoke quietly, “Next up is the Life Foundation and the other Symbiotes.”

Eddie nodded, swallowed and cleared his throat, “Yeah, once Venom and I are recovered enough we’ll go to their labs and take down the rest of the operation.”

Anne hummed, “Well we’ll be coming naturally.”

Eddie rubbed over his face, “Naturally…”

Maria choked again and Eddie had to thump her on the back, “We had to start a huge fire and almost kill ourselves to beat those two. You want to go after more?”

**Symbiotes by themselves cannot do much damage. If they do not have a host we should be perfectly fine.**

Eddie relayed, “If a Symbiote doesn’t have a host, it’s weak. But Maria is right… Maybe you guys should sit this one out…”

“Are you kidding me? If it hadn’t been for us, you’d both be dead right now,” Anne glared at Eddie.

“I know, but you got hurt too Anne, I can’t let something like that happen again!”

“I was hurt because I was an idiot and didn’t get back fast enough when the first fire started, I’m all better now, and you can’t make choices for me Eddie. I’m going and that’s final.”

Eddie wanted to argue more but Venom silenced him in his head.

**Anne is very smart, she would be an asset.**

Eddie mulled it over for a few moments and then groaned, “fine yes, you can help…”

Anne nodded, satisfied and took a sip of her coffee.

“We still need to get the animal’s to those shelters we contacted, and make sure everyone’s okay after this all goes down,” Dan spoke up, twirling his empty cup, “ _ We _ still need to figure out what we’re going to do after all this is over…”

“Well, I’m going to try and retake the bar exam… I’ve been thinking about it a lot and doing some googling. I think I’m going to join the public defense office,” Anne smiled down at her cup, she spoke tiredly, but there was fire behind her eyes.

Dan hummed, “I might look for jobs at various clinics. Apparently, there’s a demand for competent doctors… who would have guessed.”

Eddie snorted and nodded, “I’m gonna get back into writing. Venom and I are gonna travel a bit too. See what the world has to offer.” In his head, Venom’s rumbled his agreement. Eddie smiled and sunk in his seat a little more.

“Maria what about you,” Eddie turned, only to find Maria asleep with her head in her arms. Eddie smiled and shrugged at the other two.

From the front of the mess hall, Drake’s personal assistant spoke up loudly. Eddie couldn’t quite remember her name, it started with a D… Dora something… She was in her pajamas, bathrobe tied tightly around her waist.

“Alright everybody, the fire chief has given us the okay to go back to our cabins for the night. I know it’s almost five in the morning, but try and get some sleep.”

The congregation grumbled and groaned as they stood and headed for the doors, sleepy eyes blinking blearily as they went.

Eddie turned back to his friends and sighed, “Tomorrow we’ll deal with everything. For tonight, let's get some rest.”

Anne and Dan nodded and woke Maria up so they could all walk out together. There was nothing left of the tent but soggy, singed vinyl and blackened metal beams. The police had cordoned off the area and firefighters were still poking through the wreckage. There was a single black body bag sitting off to the side and a shiver ran up Eddie’s spine.

**Do not worry Eddie. Riot and Drake are dead. A symbiote and its host could not survive a blaze like that.**

Eddie hummed. He turned up the hill and walked back towards his cabin, unlocked the door and immediately fell into bed, pants and shoes still on.

**Tomorrow morning my love, we will come up with a more concrete plan and get rid of the Life Foundation.**

Eddie smiled sleepily, “T’morrow love.”

The second Eddie’s head hit the pillow he was lost to the world.

 

\- - - - 

 

As it turned out, half of their worries had been taken care of already. Drake’s assistant, Dora Skirth, had taken over as soon as the body in the tent was determined to be Drake’s. Dora seemed like a perfectly lovely woman and she didn’t seem to know anything about the plan as she started handing out severance pay and shutting down the circus entirely.

“No one’s going to want to go to the circus that burned down and killed two people, plus the circus has been spiraling for a while now, I have no idea why we were still running, it’s honestly costing the Life Foundation more to keep it open.” She had stated as she handed out the generous packages.

When Dan and Anne had tentatively approached her about the animal sanctuaries they’d found, she immediately gave her blessing and signed off on them. Eddie was now waiting with a very nervous Scrambler and Spots as they waited for the handlers from the reserve to get there. The herbivores had already been taken and a nervous Jamie was being sedated and loaded into a truck for transport. As the lioness closed her eyes to the world, Eddie pet over her muzzle, “shh shhh, when you wake up you’ll be somewhere way more comfortable… have a good trip Jamie…” 

The lioness moaned lowly and then her breathing evened out and the men moved her limp body into the truck as Eddie sat back against Scrambler and Spot’s cage. 

As soon as she was gone Eddie turned and put his hand up against the bars of the cage. Scrambler came over and started licking him furiously which made him smile and his throat tighten. Scrambler’s paw had completely healed from Drake’s injury, probably healed entirely when she bonded with Venom. That all felt like years ago to Eddie as she groomed him through the bars. Everything felt like years ago, and yet it had only been a couple weeks. It had, however, been actual years of knowing these big cats and Eddie was starting to get emotional. 

“Well honey… Looks like this is where I have to say goodbye…” Scrambler opened her big eyes wide and stared at him intently. She let out a small chirp and tried to stick her head between the bars of the cage. Behind her, Spots was licking himself idly. Eddie laughed quietly and stuck his hand through to rub her ears softly. 

“This place looks really good and safe, it’s gonna be amazing for you and Spots…” Eddie could hear a truck pulling up behind him. They were here already.

“Scrambler,” Eddie called her name and she met his eyes briefly before shutting them again and leaning into his open hand.

Someone had stepped out of the truck behind him and a female voice spoke, “You can always come and visit her! I’m sure she’d like that.”

Eddie nodded, “Yeah… I’ll visit lots.”

He retracted his hand and Scrambler let out a huff of irritation, looking at him with her wide green eyes. Eddie helped the park women with the sedation and lifting Scrambler and Spots into the truck after they’d dozed off.

“What you’re doing is good. Animal’s don’t belong in the circus,” the woman had a smile on her face as she shut the back of the truck.

“I know,” Eddie stood back and shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie, “I know.”

As the truck pulled back out and onto the road, something smooth and warm tangled itself around Eddie’s hands and Eddie squeezed back. 

**She will be happy, when I was with her, her thoughts were of freedom… and of you Eddie.**

Eddie pulled his hand out of his pocket and kissed the back where the black mass had formed a hand of his own. 

“Thanks love…” Eddie turned and headed back towards his cabin.

People were scattered around the circus grounds, packing up and relaxing. Most people had already been paid and were getting ready to head out. Some people looked sad, though most looked excited to be going. Eddie got back to his cabin and opened the small door. His bags were packed, a duffle bag and his backpack were stuffed with his clothes and few personal items he’d had when he’d joined at the circus, along with pudding. So much pudding. Mrs. Chen had come to his door that morning with all remaining pudding cups in a tote bag and had shoved them at Eddie.

“You’re going to make yourself sick,” she’d said but she spoke with a soft smile.

Now Eddie sat on his bare bed, staring out the tiny window in this small cabin he’d called home.

“Venom,” Eddie said slowly, half zoned out.

From Eddie’s hips, a full upper body grew until Venom had manifested in front of Eddie, arms lazily wrapped around Eddie’s shoulders. Eddie’s eyes finally focused in on Venom and he smiled, mirroring Venom’s own large grin.

**We head out tonight Eddie. And by tomorrow all this will be over.**

Eddie hummed and nodded slowly, “And then we can start our new life, just you and me.”

Venom practically purred and stuck his face in towards Eddie’s. Eddie met him in the middle in a strange half kiss. Half kiss because Eddie wasn’t sure if Venom could actually make his mouth small enough to connect for a proper one. It was still just as good as any kiss Eddie had ever had and he breathed out through his nose as the kiss ended with Venoms tongue painting a stripe across Eddie’s lips. 

Eddie embraced Venom tightly and Venom slowly sunk back under Eddie’s skin. Eddie grabbed his two bags and stepped out the door. Taking one last look around the small space he smiled as he flicked off the light and locked the door behind him. The trek up through the rows upon rows of houses was a fast one and he soon saw Anne and Dan and Maria, all with their own bags, waiting by a car in the parking lot.

“Road trip,” Maria called casually, cleaning under her nails with a small penknife.

“Ready to go?” Dan asked from where he stood by the passenger side door.

Eddie nodded and lifted his bags slightly, “All ready.”

After throwing their bags into the trunk and all clambering into the small car, Anne drove off, the Life Foundation labs on the horizon.

Eddie watched out the window for about an hour before his eyelids started to droop.  

**Eddie, sleep well.**

Eddie smiled lazily, the words sounded familiar somehow. As he drifted off a warm feeling wrapped around his stomach and twisted through his brain and Eddie felt at peace. Tomorrow it would all be over and Eddie would start a new chapter of his life. He’d finally have done something good and he would never be alone again. The warm feeling was like a balm on Eddie’s old wounds and regrets and his anxieties quieted in his head as a low rumble took over.

**Sleep well my love.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is dedicated to nobeldemons on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nobledemons/ . She gave me the idea five months ago and I’d never written something this long but I really wanted to try. I’m quite happy with the end result.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing. I have a lot of weird search results in my browser now thanks to this fic and that’s all I could have hoped for… 
> 
> I’d also like to give a big shout out to my dear friend Maya, for beta’ing this fic and giving me some really great feedback!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are always appreciated and make my heart happy!
> 
> (whoever guesses what Scrambler's name refers to gets a prize!)


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